Jobs:Job-00398
From CSDMS
PhD position in mangrove-marsh geomorphology at LSU
Louisiana State University, Louisiana, United States
Start reviewing process: 30 June 2021
Start reviewing process: 30 June 2021
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Posting:
Position: Ph.D. Assistantship
Start reviewing process: 30 June 2021
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Description: A Ph.D. Assistantship is available (beginning in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022) in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University for a National Science Foundation-funded project to assess how climate-driven mangrove expansion into temperate salt marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana affects marsh edge erosion and soil building dynamics. This study also aims to identify the conditions that promote mangrove expansion and survivorship using a combination of remote sensing techniques and field manipulation experiments. The successful candidate will be expected to assist with and lead aspects of field, lab, and modeling work. Field work will entail marsh surveying, collecting and processing soil cores, establishing experimental field plots, measuring sedimentation and accretion rates, and plant structure and morphology. Based on the student’s skills and interest, further tasks will include GIS analysis and numerical modeling. The student will interact with the stakeholders, the public, and work with a high school group for the research, education, and outreach components. This research is a collaborative project and the student will be working with Dr. Giulio Mariotti, an ecogeomorphologist and modeler, and Dr. Tracy Quirk, a wetland plant ecologist. Students with an interest in coastal wetland ecology and geomorphology would be most successful. The student will be based at the LSU flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with field work taking place in various locations across coastal Louisiana.
Qualifications: Applicants must have a degree in ecology, geology, oceanography, environmental science, environmental engineering, or closely related field. MS graduates preferred. Experience in field data collection and analysis with spatial and statistical software (e.g., ArcGIS, SAS, R) is required. Experience in wetlands and operating boats is desired. Successful applicants will be self-motivated and able to work well in teams.
Of interest for: Coastal Working Group Chesapeake Focus Research Group Ecosystem Dynamics Focus Research Group
