PhD Ecological value of oyster reefs in the Dutch Wadden Sea (1.0 FTE) (V25.0084)

Healthy mussel beds are essential elements in a Wadden Sea landscape. These so-called 'bio-builders' are hotspots of biodiversity and are important food sources for countless wading birds. However, mussel beds have undergone a major change in the Wadden Sea since the end of the last century. In the 1980s, intertidal mussel beds disappeared largely as a result of fishing. After that, the natural recovery of mussel beds was accompanied by the emergence of an invasive species in the Netherlands: the Japanese oyster. This exotic species partly settled in mussel beds. As a result, there are currently three types of shellfish beds in the Wadden Sea: mussel beds (structure dominated by blue mussels), oyster beds (structure dominated by Pacific oysters), and the novel ecological entity consisting of mixed oyssel beds (structure dominated by both blue mussels and Japanese oysters). Scattered evidence show that the three different types of reefs may have significantly different ecological functions for associated communities of infauna, fish and birds. In large parts of the Wadden sea, the oyssel reefs has emerged to become the dominating type of shellfish bed. Still, we have no practical guidelines for the management of mixed oyssel beds.

In this project, fisheries entrepreneurs and researchers are joining forces to develop the knowledge needed to improve the management of shellfish beds in the Wadden Sea by integrating nature functions and sustainable human co-use. The aim of the larger project is twofold: 1) To gain insight into the ecological value of oyster reefs and mixed reefs in the Wadden landscape in order to re-evaluate the conservation status of this type of landscape and 2) to explore the possibilities of creating nature gains in the form of mussel bed restoration through integrative management and nature-inclusive oyster harvesting. The PhD is a field-oriented project where the candidate will work directly together with local stakeholders to gather information and perform large-scale experiments. The specific task of the PhD is to describe how the environmental context influences the development of the characteristics (e.g. stability) of shellfish beds using field data, and then experimentally evaluate the ecological value and function of different types of shellfish beds for biodiversity in the Wadden Sea.

The research is based at the University of Groningen in the Marine Biology cluster. The wider research environment is highly collaborative and the candidate will work closely with fellow researchers from Sovon Vogelonderzoek Nederland, Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee, Wageningen Marine Research and the organization for artisanal coastal fisheries in the Netherlands and Belgium (netVISwerk).

Organisation

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 34,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global centre of knowledge.

The PhD is expected to contribute to the organiation of the project in terms of fieldwork, participation in consortium meetings, and to the analysis and writing of the shared output. The candidate will be based in the group of Prof. Eriksson (https://www.rug.nl/staff/b.d.h.k.eriksson/research/) co-supervised by Laura Govers, for a period of 48 months (1.0 FTE). The candidate is expected to start before 1 June 2025.

The successful candidate should have

• A Master's degree (or equivalent) in ecology or a related field.
• High motivation in pursuing academic research.
• High and demonstrated English proficiency.
• Effective communication (both written and spoken in English) and collaboration abilities.
• Demonstrable time management skills.
• Ability to work independently in challenging conditions.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team with fishermen and researchers from different backgrounds.

We offer you, following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• A salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,707 gross per month in the fourth and final year for a full-time working week.
• A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• A full-time position (1.0 FTE). The successful candidate will first be offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years.
• Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years is to be expected.
• A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.

Application should include

• Letter of motivation.
• CV (including contact information for at least two academic references).
• Transcripts from your bachelor’s and master’s degree
• Proof of written English text, preferably by Master Diploma taught in English or recent English language test; and Master thesis written in English.

You can submit your application until 13 March 11:59 pm / before 14 March 2025 Dutch local time (CET), by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

Applications received before 14 March 2025 will be given full consideration; however, the position will remain open until it is filled. Intended starting date is 1 May 2025.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

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