Post-doc offer in Green House Gas dynamics in coastal vegetation: the role of habitat state

Seagrass meadows are key coastal ecosystems, supporting carbon sequestration, fisheries and supplying coastal protection. However, many seagrass species are declining due to anthropogenic threats. The success of efforts to restore lost meadows are not always monitored beyond a projects duration and it is not clear if ecosystem services fully recover in restored areas. Also ecosystem functions like oxygenation of the water-column and mitigation of daytime pH for associated calcifiers is dependent on the final density and meadow health. Additionally, seagrass meadows are potential methane sources, due to their capacity of particle retention and accumulation of organic matter, stimulating bacterial activity. This might partly counteract the offsetting effect of carbon storage under their meadow structures. Increased organic matter load like observed close to WWTPs might increase these emissions as well as in degraded habitats compared to healthy meadows.

We, the Global Change Research Group, at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, a joint research institute between the University of the Balearic islands and the Spanish Research Council, are looking for a colleague to work with us on this exciting topic.

We offer a 2-year postdoc position with lots of opportunities to work on this topic and within the framework of various international projects like OBAMA-NEXT, and Ocean Citizen as well as national projects. The project will require diving fieldwork, laboratory work and back ground literature search. For more information please contact: iris.hendriks@csic.es