Postdoctoral Research Opportunity in Phytoplankton Ecology
(Posted: 06/02/2016)
A Postdoctoral Research Associate in Phytoplankton Ecology is sought for employment at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) to characterize phytoplankton community composition by HPLC and merge with ancillary data to develop community analyses. Knowledge in the calibration, operation and maintenance of a Waters HPLC system, and interpretation of data, multivariate analysis, and publication are required. The associate will join a large, multi-institution team of researchers on a Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, Coastal Waters Consortium funded project studying the impacts of the oil spill and future spills on salt marshes and coastal environments.
The position will be based at the LUMCON Marine Center in Cocodrie, LA (https://www.lumcon.edu). Duration and Start Date: Appointment is for 2 years, depending upon satisfactory performance. The position is available immediately.
Send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the name, address, phone and email contact for at least three individuals qualified to comment on scientific and work qualifications to Dr. Nancy Rabalais (nrabalais@lumcon.edu). For more information concerning the nature of this position, contact Dr. Rabalais by email or phone (985-851-2836). Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.
LUMCON offers state benefits and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/ADA Employer.
PhD position in molecular ecology:
(Posted: 06/12/2015)
Inquiries are invited for a PhD assistantship to examine the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marsh rice rats in Louisiana. Research would include examining the relationship between genetic variation at immune genes and bayou virus infection on oiled and unoiled plots. Additional work could include gene methylation or other measures of response to PAH exposure depending on the candidate’s experience and interest. Work will include a lab and a field component. Qualifications: experience with genetic analyses (lab and statistical), experience coordinating and collecting field data (particularly handling rodents and operating boats), excellent writing and organizational skills, and ability to work in a large collaborative group. Salary for the position is $22K/year. Interested candidates are welcome to contact Dr. Sabrina Taylor, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University, staylor@lsu.edu, 225-578-4137. To apply, send a cover letter, CV, and a list of 3 references (with phone #s and/or email addresses). Equal Employment Opportunity applies to this position.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
(Posted: 03/30/2015)
The Roberts Lab of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) is seeking two postdoctoral research associates (one in wetland biogeochemistry and one in plant ecology) to organize and lead a series field studies and manipulative experiments studying the effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on coastal marsh ecosystems. The postdocs will join a large, multi-institution team of researchers on the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC) project (https://cwc.lumcon.edu/) funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to study the impacts of the oil spill and future spills on marshes and coastal environments. Specifically, they will be collaborating with the wetland biogeochemistry and microbial ecology group led by Drs. Brian Roberts (LUMCON), Anne Giblin (Marine Biological Laboratory), and Anne Bernhard (Connecticut College). Our group’s overall objectives since beginning this project in 2012 have been to 1) improve understanding of temporal and spatial patterns in marsh biogeochemical process rates, associated microbial communities and factors regulating these communities and rates; and 2) evaluate the impact of oil exposure on marsh biogeochemical processes and associated microbial communities. The postdocs will have the opportunity to build on extensive data sets with the goal of examining continued impacts as well as the recovery of marsh biogeochemistry, microbial communities, and plant dynamics impacted by the spill. These data sets include multiple years of sampling on wetland biogeochemistry (greenhouse gas fluxes, nitrification, denitrification/DNRA/anammox, phosphorus sorption, iron reduction), associated microbial communities (ammonia oxidizers, denitrifiers, methane oxidizers), and plant above and below ground biomass, production and decomposition. Over the next three years, we intend to expand our work in several areas including examining: impacts of oil exposure on carbon sinks; how plant stress responses link to biogeochemical fluxes; how spatial variability between marsh subhabitats in process rates and communities and their susceptibility to oiling influence our ability to scale up to the whole ecosystem; and how vegetation and salinity alterations might influence impacts expected as result of future spills. This research will include a combination of field/lab studies and manipulative experiments at multiple scales including the use of a large scale marsh mesocosm facility being built as part of CWC. The post-docs will be based at the LUMCON but may be expected to travel periodically to work with collaborators. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with top scientists from around the United States in a large, interdisciplinary research project of great importance to the US Gulf Coast and other ecosystems impacted by oil-related activities.
Qualifications: The candidates must have a Ph.D. in ecology, wetland science, biogeochemistry, plant ecology or a related field. The preferred candidate for the biogeochemistry position will have experience with field and laboratory measures of biogeochemical and ecosystem process rates including the use of stable isotope techniques. The preferred candidate for the plant ecology position will have experience making ground-based measurements of spectral reflectance to determine plant physiological status and detect stress and have experience making integrated plant-soil greenhouse gas flux measurements. Both candidates will also be expected to participate in field work that may require physical effort to transport equipment in field sites throughout Louisiana that are accessible only by small boats. The ability to work in a group setting is essential, as these researchers will work collaboratively with the PIs, other post docs, graduate and undergraduate students, and research associates/technicians on this project as well as personnel on the larger CWC effort. High organizational and communication skills, creativity in methodological development, and understanding of basic experimental design and statistical analyses are required for this position
Duration and Start Date: Initial appointments are for 1 year, and may be renewed for a total of 2.5 years depending on satisfactory performance. The desired start date is spring 2015, but is negotiable.
Location: Both positions will be based at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) Marine Center in Cocodrie, LA (visit https:///www.lumcon.edu for information on the facility). The field sites are located along the Louisiana coast between LUMCON and the Mississippi River.
To Apply: Send 1) a letter of interest that describes your interest in the position, your career goals, and details your work and educational experience most relevant to the position, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) up to 3 relevant reprints, and 4) contact information for 3 references to Dr. Brian Roberts (broberts@lumcon.edu) with “Wetland biogeochemistry postdoc position” or “Wetland plant ecology postdoc position” in the subject line. For more information, contact Dr. Brian Roberts by email or phone (985-851-2821).
Deadline: Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.
LUMCON is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that actively seeks diversity among its employees.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
(Posted: 03/09/2015)
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, invites applications for a postdoctoral research associate to fill a position in microbial geochemistry and geomicrobiology. The candidate will join a large, multi-institutional team within the Coastal Waters Consortium, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. The current research focuses on dynamic biogeochemical and ecological impacts of disturbances, including oil contamination, to coastal marsh and other marine ecosystems. Candidate will be responsible for field and laboratory research combining aqueous, organic, and stable isotope geochemistry with environmental microbiology and ‘omics techniques. Additional duties include helping undergraduate students conduct independent research projects, and presenting and publishing research results. Requirements: Ph.D. in microbiology, geology, chemistry, or relevant field is required. Potential applicants can have broad interest and demonstrated expertise in non-marine ecosystems. Preference will be given to applicants (1) with demonstrated expertise in microbiology, geochemistry, ‘omics, or computational skills, (2) who have research productivity in the form of scientific publications and funding experience, and (3) who are willing to travel regularly for field work. The candidate should have excellent oral and written English language communications skills. The position will be open until filled. Email Annette Engel (aengel1@utk.edu) if there are questions.
To apply, please submit cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references at https://ut.taleo.net/careersection/ut_knoxville/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=1500000076
Stable Isotope Research Associate II
The Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University seeks an experienced applicant to serve as the Stable Isotope Research Associate 2 (Position # 036987). This appointment offers the opportunity to support numerous stable isotope applications including measurement of 13C and 15N of solids, liquids and gases and measurement of 34S in solids (plants, animals and soils) across a range of projects. The Research Associate will have direct responsibility for operating and maintaining the laboratory instrumentation. Specific responsibilities include: routine maintenance of instruments, design and oversight of quality control procedures, budgeting and supervision of all users of equipment in the facility (including the work study students/lab assistants). Additionally, there is also an opportunity for fieldwork with one of the many projects presently underway.
The laboratory is equipped with two IRMS instruments and each has different on-line preparation system: Thermo Finnigan DeltaPlus GC-IRMS and Thermo Finnigan DeltaPlusXP IRMS. The DeltaPlusGC-IRMS is equipped with a NA-1500 elemental analyzer and a either a single-component (13C/12C, 15N/14N) or dual-component gas chromatography combustion interface (13C/12C, 15N/14N and 34S/32S). The DeltaPlusXP IRMS is equipped with a Gas Bench II interface combined with an injection interface which enables the simultaneous measurement of δ13C and δ18O of dissolved gases in water samples.
The successful candidate will have, at a minimum, a B.S. degree in appropriate scientific discipline. The successful candidate will have demonstrable knowledge of combined elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometers and gas chromatography systems, as it applies to stable isotope of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur analyses; competence in methodologies associated with processing/analyzing plant, animal, soil and particulate samples and; ability to use standard statistical assessment approaches to generate and report data derived from the stable isotope processes employed in the laboratory. Candidates with a graduate degree in a relevant discipline will be given preference. Successful candidates will be highly motivated, attentive to detail and possess excellent organizational skills. The position is available immediately and will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Salary will be determined based upon the applicant’s qualifications.
Interested applicants should visit the on-line posting (# 036987) for a list of required documents at https://lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1355497506281
