Upcoming research opportunities

 

Postdoctoral Researcher Position: Modelling the biological pump

University of Bern - The Division of Climate and Environmental Physics at the Physics Institute

Position open until filled, with first round of applicants to be reviewed in July 2025

The Division of Climate- and Environmental Physics at the Physics Institute, University of Bern, invites applications for two Postdoctoral Researcher positions to investigate zooplankton dynamics and marine particle fluxes under past, present and future conditions in marine biogeochemistry models.

Project Overview:

This research aims to advance our understanding of how global warming will affect the biological pump, a critical component of the ocean’s carbon cycle and climate regulation. The successful candidate will develop and apply state-of-the-art models to simulate the biological pump under past, present and future conditions, integrating observational data, in particular BGC-Argo observations, and laboratory results.

Your Profile:

  • A completed PhD in marine biogeochemistry, oceanography, climate science, environmental physics, or a related discipline.
  • Strong background in numerical modelling, preferably with experience in marine biogeochemical or physical oceanographic models.
  • Proven expertise in data analysis (e.g., Python or similar).
  • Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities:

  • Develop models to simulate the marine particle flux under past, present and future climate scenarios, and/or to simulate zooplankton seasonal migration.
  • Analyse model output and compare results with observational datasets, in particular BGC-Argo data.
  • Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
  • Contribute to the Division’s teaching and outreach activities.
  • Be a kind, supportive, and engaged member of our team—we value not only scientific excellence but also friendship, collaborations and mutual respect within our group.

We Offer:

  • A stimulating research environment within a leading climate and environmental physics division.
  • Collaboration opportunities with an international network of experts, including international research visits.
  • Competitive salary and benefits in line with the guidelines of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Bern (early or advanced postdoctoral researcher, depending on previous postdoc experience)
  • Duration: 2 years

Application:

Please submit a cover letter detailing your motivation and qualifications (2 pages max), a CV, a publication list, and contact details of at least two references via email to charlotte.laufkoetter@unibe.ch. The first round of applications will be reviewed in July. The position will remain open until filled. The earliest possible start date is October 2025.

For further information, please contact: Prof. Charlotte Laufkötter, charlotte.laufkoetter@unibe.ch

 

Two PhD opportunities: Marine evolutionary ecology/oceanography

University of Bergen - the Department of Biological Sciences

Further information: PhD Research Fellow (two positions) in marine evolutionary ecology (281140) | University of Bergen

Closing date: 15th June 2025

 

There is a vacancy for two PhD positions in marine evolutionary ecology at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen. Both positions are for a fixed-term period of 3 years and are associated with the Theoretical Ecology Group.

The ocean is a physical environment that is dynamic and variable in terms of e.g. light, temperature, and ocean currents. These provide constraints and opportunities for the organisms that live there, who have evolved adaptations in terms of physiology, behaviours, and life history strategies that make them succeed with surviving and producing offspring. In the Theoretical Ecology group, our approach to studying marine systems is therefore to focus on the individual in its environment and develop numerical models to study how physical influences and relationships with other species can explain the adaptations these organisms have. This requires a thorough understanding of marine ecology, the role of the environment, and the capabilities of marine organisms, but also good numerical literacy in developing computer code for simulation models and for data analysis and interpretation.

The first position is part of the research project Thermos (Regional downscaling of eco-physiological theory - confronting global predictions with local observations) and is financed by the Research Council of Norway. The project aims to critically evaluate state-of-the-art theory on how temperature and other drivers affect spawners and modify the timing of when they spawn, and assess to what degree existing theories are relevant for high-latitude spring bloom systems. The project uses well-studied Norwegian stocks of Atlantic cod and herring as test cases. A main hypothesis underpinning the project, which challenges current thought, is that oceanographic conditions, and not so much the individual preference, determines the temperature at which fish spawn. When employed, the candidate is expected to participate in the development of a mechanistic simulation model to investigate how fish may utilize different temperature ranges over the seasons to budget different bioenergetic tasks, such as feeding, digestion and gonad development. It will also be possible to couple modelling results with observed temperature recordings from fish tagged with different temperature sensors. This part of the project is a collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR).

The second position is part of the project DRIFT (Systematically rethinking advection and cross-ecosystem subsidies), a starting grant funded by the Trond Mohn Research Foundation (https://bio.uib.no/te/research/advection/). The project focuses on how advection turns ocean currents into food conveyors.  The open ocean harbours an estimated 1–16 billion tonnes of small mesopelagic fishes, comprising 50–95% of global fish biomass. Many of these, along with pelagic crustaceans, squids, and gelatinous zooplankton, are active vertical migrators but remain hidden in the twilight zone at depths of several hundred meters during the day. Our focus is when these drifting organisms are transported from the open ocean towards underwater slopes—such as seamounts, banks, and continental shelf breaks—where they are pushed from the deep twilight into the shallower depths where light can reach, and there become easy prey for predators. Our hypothesis is that this process fuels productive ecosystems and supports dense predator populations along these slopes and coasts. DRIFT aims to uncover the mechanisms that govern when and where oceanic prey becomes accessible to predators, map foraging hotspots across the North Atlantic, and predict how advected biomass shapes production, life histories, and species distributions in recipient ecosystems. The main task of the successful candidate will be to use particle tracking within ocean circulation models to simulate mesopelagic biomass transport and identify potential advective feeding hotspots, working closely with co-supervisors and collaborators at the Geophysical Institute and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research.

 

Postdoc opportunity: Bioacoustics analysis and modelling in marine evolutionary ecology

University of Bergen - the Department of Biological Sciences

Further information: Postdoctoral Research Fellow position within in marine evolutionary ecology (281136) | University of Bergen

Closing date: 15th June 2025

 

There is a vacancy for a postdoctoral research fellow position in marine evolutionary ecology at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen. The position is for a fixed term of 3 years and is associated with the Theoretical Ecology group (http://bio.uib.no/te).

The ocean is a physical environment that is dynamic and variable in terms of e.g. light, temperature, and ocean currents. These provide constraints and opportunities for the organisms that live there, who have evolved adaptations in terms of physiology, behaviours, and life history strategies that make them succeed with surviving and producing offspring. In the Theoretical Ecology group, our approach to studying marine systems is therefore to focus on the individual in its environment and develop numerical models to study how physical influences and relationships with other species can explain the adaptations these organisms have. This requires a thorough understanding of marine ecology, the role of the environment, and the capabilities of marine organisms, but also good numerical literacy in developing computer code for simulation models and for data analysis and interpretation.

About the project/work tasks

The position is part of the starting grant project DRIFT – “Systematically rethinking advection and cross-ecosystem subsidies” (https://bio.uib.no/te/research/advection/) – funded by the Trond Mohn Research Foundation, with partners at the Geophysical Institute and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, the University Museum of Bergen, and the Faroe Marine Research Institute.

The project focuses on how advection turns ocean currents into food conveyors. The open ocean harbours an estimated 1–16 billion tonnes of small mesopelagic fishes, comprising 50–95% of global fish biomass. Many of these, along with pelagic crustaceans, squids, and gelatinous zooplankton, are active vertical migrators but remain hidden in the twilight zone at depths of several hundred meters during the day. Our focus is when these drifting organisms are transported from the open ocean towards underwater slopes—such as seamounts, banks, and continental shelf breaks—where they are pushed from the deep twilight into the shallower depths where light can reach, and there become easy prey for predators. Our hypothesis is that this process fuels productive ecosystems and supports dense predator populations along these slopes and coasts. DRIFT aims to uncover the mechanisms that govern when and where oceanic prey becomes accessible to predators, map foraging hotspots across the North Atlantic, and predict how advected biomass shapes production, life histories, and species distributions in recipient ecosystems.

The primary responsibility of the postdoctoral research fellow will be to lead the analysis of field data and integrate it with ongoing modelling efforts in the project. In particular, the fellow will analyse a three-decade acoustic time series collected via an array of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler moorings positioned around the Faroese shelf. Depending on the candidate’s disposition, skills, and interests, the position may evolve in one of two directions: (1) conducting a trait-based analysis of over 30 years of fisheries survey data from the Faroe Marine Research Institute to compare slope communities upstream and downstream of the shelf, or (2) contributing to the development of mechanistic simulation models for adaptive behaviour of predators and prey along shelf ecosystems.

The position offers opportunities to gain experience in project coordination and scientific leadership, including involvement in the planning of a research cruise and co-supervision of Master’s students.

Qualifications and personal qualities

  • Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) within biology or another discipline relevant for the project. PhD-students may apply if defence of the PhD-thesis is completed by 31.12.2025. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
  • Documented experience and confidence in quantitative analysis and computer programming, preferably using R, MATLAB, or Fortran is a requirement.
  • Demonstrated experience working with large field datasets is a requirement
  • Experience with acoustic data analysis and related software is an advantage
  • A background in one or more of the following areas: marine ecology, fisheries science, trait-based analysis, biological oceanography, bioacoustics, or ecological modelling is an advantage
  • Applicants must have excellent skills in oral and written English.
  • Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and have the ability to cooperate with others. The project aims at extensive and close-knit teamwork.
  • Applicants must be willing to challenge existing ideas and approaches.

In the evaluation of the candidates, their personal and relational qualities, independence, and relevant research experience will be emphasized. Ambitions, as demonstrated in the motivation letter and interviews, will count when evaluating candidates. We expect the candidate's presented qualifications and work to show a high degree of future potential and an upwards trajectory.