15 Early-Stage Researcher Positions at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Holland

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is pleased to advertise 15 Early-Stage Researcher (PhD) positions to begin in Oktober/November 2019, as part of the MSCA Innovative Training Network “Past, present and future of turbid reefs in the Coral Triangle (4D-REEF)”. All the positions correspond to three or four years hiring depending on the institute, and require the enrolment in a PhD programme enhancing their career perspectives in both the academic and non-academic sector. Each ESR will crucially gain inter-sectoral experience in an individual ESR research project. In addition to their individual doctoral projects, all ESRs will benefit from an exciting training programme comprising an integrated curriculum of local and network wide training activities related to the development of scientific knowledge and the enhancement of transferable skills. At the core of the training programme lie the research projects conducted by the ESRs, which are enhanced by all other training events and activities the consortium provides during the project’s life span.

Project Objectives
Using a variety of paleo-ecological and present-day data, 4D REEF investigates the hypothesis that turbid coastal environments provide a refuge for coral reefs in periods of warm climate. The key questions are:

What was the biodiversity of turbid reefs in the past and in what habitats did the reefs grow in past warmer periods of the Earth’s history, and how does this compare to the present?
What are the environmental constraints on ecosystem functions of turbid reefs?
How can we use information from past reefs to better understand the future trajectories of modern coral reefs, and apply this towards reef restoration actions?
By answering these questions, we aim to understand the role of turbid reefs for the future of marine ecosystems in the Coral Triangle as they respond to anthropogenic environmental change.

Further details:
15 Early-Stage Researcher Positions at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Holland