Beca para Tesis Doctoral en el ICM-CSIC de Barcelona

PhD Scholarship: Marine Food Web Dynamics and Ecological Role of Small and Medium-Sized Pelagic Fish

A Ph.D. scholarship is being offered at the Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC, www.icm.csic.es) located in Barcelona (Spain). The scholarship is funded under the Spanish National Programme for Training Human Resources 2012 (Formacion de Personal Investigador, FPI-MICINN) (see http://www.micinn.es/) and will be performed as part of the Spanish Research Project “Dynamics and ecological role of small pelagic fishes in the North Western Mediterranean: Energy transfer from planktonic organisms to top predators” (ECOTRANS, 2012-2014).

The Ph.D. candidate will study the ecological role of small and medium-sized pelagic fish as key elements in the transfer of energy within marine ecosystems. Namely, she/he will (i) quantify the trophic interactions between small pelagic fish and their prey and predators, (ii) describe the annual pattern of energy partition of small pelagic species in relation to their trophic strategies and life histories, and (iii) analyze the current state of exploitation and the ecological role of small pelagic fish in the north-western Mediterranean by using ecological models.

The project ECOTRANS is highly multidisciplinary, and includes the participation in oceanographic and fishing campaigns, laboratory work (stomach contents analysis, and stable isotopes, lipids, and fatty acids analysis) and the development of ecological models and indicators.
The position will last for 4 years (approx. starting date: September 2012), with an approx. net monthly salary of 1100€. The fellowship includes annual short stays (2-6 months) in research centers abroad. The candidate is expected to publish research results in international peer-reviewed journals and attend scientific meetings.

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in Biology, Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or similar, and preferably have (or being completing) an official M.Sc. on Marine Ecology or similar. Candidates must be available to participate in oceanographic and fishing campaigns. Fluency in English and Spanish will be positively evaluated. Candidates must demonstrate initiative, responsibility and independence at work.
If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Ph.D. Isabel Palomera (isabel@icm.csic.es), including a summary of the curriculum vitae and a brief description of your experiences and grades, publications if any, and a brief statement of scientific interests.

Formal applications must be processed through the web portal of the Spanish Ministery of Economy and Competitivity. The forms to apply for the scholarship will be available during February 2012. Check on the above link for the exact dates for the formal application.