PhD Fellowship – Eelgrass Ecology, Conservation, and Climate Change
The Issue. Coastal seagrass ecosystems contribute critically important ecosystem services: (1) they are highly efficient carbon sinks, with the capacity to sequester and store more carbon than tropical forests, (2) as habitat, they provide shoreline stabilization, and serve as nursery habitat for commercially important fishes and invertebrates. Despite their importance, much of British Columbia’s native eelgrass (Zostera marina) already has been lost. The remainder, constituting less than 3% of BC’s coastline (745km2), is threatened by continuing shoreline development, pollution, and invasive species. BC’s seagrass ecosystems are chronically understudied. Although effort has been put into mapping eelgrass within the province, little is known about its capacity to serve as a carbon sink within BC, its importance to BC’s commercially important marine species, or how to minimize trade-offs between eelgrass restoration and other climate change solutions.
The Proposed Research. This research seeks to fill key knowledge gaps about BC’s eelgrass ecosystems, with the overarching goal of providing solutions to maximize eelgrass contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in BC. To achieve this, we propose three foci: (1) Blue Carbon; (2) Habitat Function and Persistence; (3) Climate Solution Win-Wins. The PICS Graduate Fellow will lead this research, under Dr. Baum’s mentorship, with assistance from RAs, and in collaboration with government and eNGO partners.
The Opportunity. A funded PhD position is available within the Baum Lab for an exceptional student to undertake the proposed research on eelgrass ecology and conservation in British Columbia, as part of a new field program. The position is funded by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and can start September 2014, January 2015, or May 2015.
The ideal candidate will be highly self-motivated, have a strong academic background in ecology (MSc or BSc), be comfortable working in the field, and have strong quantitative and writing skills. The project is funded for three years; the successful student will be competitive for, and encouraged to apply for, additional internal and external funding sources.
More information on working in the Baum Lab is available here. To apply for this position, please email Dr. Julia Baum at baum ‘at’ uvic.ca with ‘PICS Fellowship’ in the subject line. Please include a cover letter with a statement about your research interests and goals for graduate school, as well as a copy of your CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for your references.
The Issue. Coastal seagrass ecosystems contribute critically important ecosystem services: (1) they are highly efficient carbon sinks, with the capacity to sequester and store more carbon than tropical forests, (2) as habitat, they provide shoreline stabilization, and serve as nursery habitat for commercially important fishes and invertebrates. Despite their importance, much of British Columbia’s native eelgrass (Zostera marina) already has been lost. The remainder, constituting less than 3% of BC’s coastline (745km2), is threatened by continuing shoreline development, pollution, and invasive species. BC’s seagrass ecosystems are chronically understudied. Although effort has been put into mapping eelgrass within the province, little is known about its capacity to serve as a carbon sink within BC, its importance to BC’s commercially important marine species, or how to minimize trade-offs between eelgrass restoration and other climate change solutions.
The Proposed Research. This research seeks to fill key knowledge gaps about BC’s eelgrass ecosystems, with the overarching goal of providing solutions to maximize eelgrass contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in BC. To achieve this, we propose three foci: (1) Blue Carbon; (2) Habitat Function and Persistence; (3) Climate Solution Win-Wins. The PICS Graduate Fellow will lead this research, under Dr. Baum’s mentorship, with assistance from RAs, and in collaboration with government and eNGO partners.
The Opportunity. A funded PhD position is available within the Baum Lab for an exceptional student to undertake the proposed research on eelgrass ecology and conservation in British Columbia, as part of a new field program. The position is funded by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and can start September 2014, January 2015, or May 2015.
The ideal candidate will be highly self-motivated, have a strong academic background in ecology (MSc or BSc), be comfortable working in the field, and have strong quantitative and writing skills. The project is funded for three years; the successful student will be competitive for, and encouraged to apply for, additional internal and external funding sources.
More information on working in the Baum Lab is available here. To apply for this position, please email Dr. Julia Baum at baum ‘at’ uvic.ca with ‘PICS Fellowship’ in the subject line. Please include a cover letter with a statement about your research interests and goals for graduate school, as well as a copy of your CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for your references.