JOB DESCRIPTION
OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship - Quantifying production and carbon cycling in ocean ecosystems using revolutionary bio-Argo robots
Postdoctoral Fellows at CSIRO provide opportunities to scientists and engineers, who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships will help launch their careers, provide experience that will enhance their career prospects, and facilitate the recruitment and development of potential leaders for CSIRO.
Postdoctoral Fellows are appointed for up to three years and will work closely with a leading Research Scientist in their respective field. They carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO with the possibility of novel and important scientific outcomes. They present the findings in appropriate publications and at conferences.
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship is seeking to appoint a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow, with a background in marine bio-optical research, toinvestigate the mechanisms that determine the 3D structure of phytoplankton productivity and carbon cycling in ocean ecosystems. The successful applicant will join a multi-disciplinary team with internationally-recognised expertise in marine bio-optics, satellite ocean colour and ocean biogeochemistry.
The project will use data from bio-optical robotic profiling floats (bio-Argo) and make links to satellite ocean colour remote sensing. The initial geographic focus of the project will be on the Indian and/or Southern Oceans where CSIRO scientists are already engaged in bio-optical float deployments. This includes participation in collaborative float deployment programs with Indian (Australia-India Strategic Research Program), French (Southern Ocean Climate Project), and US (Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modelling) research teams.
The project is at the forefront of oceanographic research internationally and will contribute significantly to a growing international bio-Argo program, providing excellent opportunities to develop a strong scientific network with exposure to the global scientific community by participating in international working groups/conferences. This is a career-defining project at the cutting edge of oceanography and will provide an excellent postdoctoral experience.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Salary: $AUD78K to $AUD88K plus up to 15.4% superannuation (pension fund)
Tenure: Up to 3 years
Reference: WA14/03256
Duties:
- Under the direction of senior research scientists, carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.
- Formulate specific testable hypotheses to investigate the vertical distribution of different size phytoplankton, their production and carbon cycling rates in different ecosystems of the Indian Ocean.
- Apply your expertise in marine optics, including the optical physics of scattering by particles and radiative transfer, to interpret optical data from the profiling floats.
- Statistically analyse profiling float and remote sensing data to elucidate relationships and underlying mechanisms that determine rates of production; compare these results to expectations from leading marine bio-physical models.
- Undertake regular reviews of relevant literature.
- Produce high quality scientific papers suitable for publication in quality journals.
- Prepare appropriate conference papers and present those at conferences as agreed with your supervisor.
- Contribute to the development of innovative concepts and ideas for further research.
- Make a contribution to the effective functioning of the research team and help deliver CSIRO’s organisational objectives and plans.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues within your team, the Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship and across CSIRO.
- Communicate effectively and respectfully with all staff, clients and suppliers in the interests of good business practice, collaboration and enhancement of CSIRO’s reputation.
- Adhere to the spirit and practice of CSIRO’s Values, Health, Safety and Environment plans and policies, Diversity initiatives and Zero Harm goals.
- Undertake an appropriate training and development program developed by CSIRO.
- Other duties as directed.
Application:
To submit an application, please click the "Apply through website" button.
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Pre-Requisites:
- Education/Qualifications: A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as marine bio-optics.
Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.
- Communication: High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including at national and international conferences.
- Publications: A record of publications in quality, international peer reviewed journals.
- Collaboration: A history of professional and respectful behaviours and attitudes in a collaborative environment.
- Fitness: Ability to pass stringent medical criteria to enable participation in oceanographic voyages.
Essential Criteria:
- Demonstrated understanding of the physical, chemical and biological oceanographic processes that influence phytoplankton production and carbon cycling in the oceans.
- Substantial experience in hydrological or atmospheric optics, visible-spectrum remote sensing and/or radiative transfer modelling.
- Knowledge and experience in developing numerical computing codes in a related discipline, using software such as MATLAB, Python, R.
- The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research and to adapt to changing circumstances in order to prioritise and address problems and to deliver projects effectively and on time.
- A record of science innovation and creativity, plus the ability and willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.
Desirable Criteria:
- Quantitative experience in one or more of the fields of marine bio-optics, ocean colour remote sensing and marine primary production modelling.
- Demonstrated understanding of processes relating to the optics of marine particles, in situ measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and/or radiative transfer through seawater.