PhD Position with Terralac project , Germany

Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Research Network Berlin e.V.

PhD Position

Dept. Biology and Ecology of Fishes
Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin

The Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) is a research facility funded by the German government and the county of Berlin and belongs to the research organization „Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz“ (WGL). The IGB is situated in Berlin (Friedrichshagen) at Lake Mueggel and in Stechlin (Neuglobsow) at Lake Stechlin. The institute is a major German Centre for freshwater ecosystem research and links hydrologists, chemists, microbiologists, limnologists, fish ecologists and fish biologists. The research at the institute consists in a combination of basic and applied science for foresight research which provides the basis for sustainable management strategies of freshwater ecosystems.

In the frame of the “TERRALAC“ project (Aquatic-terrestrial coupling stabilizes lake ecosystems) the Dept. Biology and Ecology of Fishes offers a PhD position starting from 01. January 2010. The position is limited to 3 years and the salary is equivalent to half of
a TvöD position.

The research focuses on the effects of allochthonous organic matter on consumer interactions and matter flow between habitats of shallow lakes and the water-land connectivity. It is hypothesized that allochthonous organic matter input plays a crucial role for bistability (macrophyte vs. microplankton dominated state).

Duties and responsibilities
• Estimates of abundances and biomasses of zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and fishes
• Preparation of samples and stable isotope analyses
• Calculations of production and matter flows between consumer groups
• Estimates of land-water coupling via Aeolian insects Requirements
• Completed studies in the field of (aquatic) ecology, limnology or fisheries biology
• Methodological skills in aquatic ecology (sampling techniques, taxa knowledge)
• Interest in theoretical and food web ecology
• Good command in English
• Good abilities for cooperation with all other groups of the TERRALAC project

The application of women is explicitly welcome. Disabled people with the same qualification will be preferentially employed. The application with all common documents should be submitted until 30th September 2009 to: PD Dr. Thomas Mehner,
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Dept. Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Müggelseedamm 310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: mehner@igb-berlin.de.