Patchiness of marine plankton and its influence on the ocean carbon cycle

(LEQUERE_UENV24ARIES)

Patchiness of marine plankton and its influence on the ocean carbon cycle

(LEQUERE_UENV24ARIES)

Project Description

Supervisors

Professor Corinne Le Quéré, University of East Anglia – Contact me

Dr Marie-Fanny Racault, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

Dr BB Cael, National Oceanography Centre

Scientific background

Marine ecosystems play a key role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Marine ecosystems live largely at the ocean’s surface. Their activities generate a flux of carbon between the ocean surface and the deep ocean, so-called export flux, that modulates atmospheric CO2 in the long-term. The most recent global observations reveal that the bulk distribution of plankton populations tends to become more patchy with increasing size of micro-organisms. This suggests a change from small organisms such as picophytoplankton forming a constant background biomass, to large organisms such as jellyfish going through bloom and bust cycles (Buitenhuis et al 2013). Yet, even the most complex models (Le Quéré et al 2016) fail to reproduce the observed increasing patchiness.

Research methodology

This PhD project aims to better characterise the linkages between patchiness and the size of plankton organisms, identify their drivers, and determine how patchy distributions may be related to carbon export events and influence the ocean carbon cycle. The PhD candidate will examine patchiness using new marine observations such as satellite data (Racault et al 2017), abundance (Buitenhuis et al2013), imaging (Lombard et al 2017) and genomics. The candidate will explore the environmental and ecosystem processes driving the regional and temporal variations in the observed patchiness using both machine-learning techniques and results from a process-based global ecosystem model named PlankTOM12. Finally, the candidate will help improve the representation of patchiness in the PlankTOM12 model that currently represents organisms across all sizes from viruses to bacteria, to six groups of phytoplankton and five zooplankton (Le Quéré et al 2016).

Training

The PhD candidate will be part of a dynamic research group and contribute to the development of a cutting-edge model of the ocean carbon cycle used for understanding climate change and the Earth System. The successful candidate will receive specific training and have opportunities to interact with an international group of experts and attend Greenocean workshops.

Person specification

This project is particularly suited for candidates with first degrees in any sciences and an interest in marine ecosystems and climate change. Enthusiastic individuals with experience in computer-based analysis are encouraged to apply.

References

  • 1 Buitenhuis, E. T., Vogt, M., Moriarty, R., Bednaršek, N., Doney, S. C., Leblanc, K., Le Quéré, C., Luo, Y.-W., O’Brien, C., O’Brien, T., Peloquin, J., Schiebel, R., & Swan, C. (2013). MAREDAT: Towards a world atlas of MARine Ecosystem DATa. Earth System Science Data, 5(2), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-5-227-2013
  • 2 Le Quéré, C., Buitenhuis, E. T., Moriarty, R., Alvain, S., Aumont, O., Bopp, L., Chollet, S., Enright, C., Franklin, D. J., Geider, R. J., Harrison, S. P., Hirst, A. G., Larsen, S., Legendre, L., Platt, T., Prentice, I. C., Rivkin, R. B., Sailley, S., Sathyendranath, S., … Vallina, S. M. (2016). Role of zooplankton dynamics for Southern Ocean phytoplankton biomass and global biogeochemical cycles. Biogeosciences, 13(14), 4111–4133. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4111-2016Le Quéré, C., Buitenhuis, E. T., Moriarty, R., Alvain, S., Aumont, O., Bopp, L., Chollet, S., Enright, C., Franklin, D. J., Geider, R. J., Harrison, S. P., Hirst, A. G., Larsen, S., Legendre, L., Platt, T., Prentice, I. C., Rivkin, R. B., Sailley, S., Sathyendranath, S., … Vallina, S. M. (2016). Role of zooplankton dynamics for Southern Ocean phytoplankton biomass and global biogeochemical cycles. Biogeosciences, 13(14), 4111–4133. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4111-2016
  • 3 Wright, R. M., Le Quéré, C., Buitenhuis, E., Pitois, S., & Gibbons, M. J. (2021). Role of jellyfish in the plankton ecosystem revealed using a global ocean biogeochemical model. Biogeosciences, 18(4), 1291–1320. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1291-2021
  • 4 Racault, M.-F., Sathyendranath, S., Brewin, R. J. W., Raitsos, D. E., Jackson, T., & Platt, T. (2017). Impact of El Niño Variability on Oceanic Phytoplankton. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00133
  • 5 Lombard F, Boss E, Waite AM, Vogt M, Uitz J, Stemmann L, Sosik HM, Schulz J, Romagnan J-B, Picheral M, Pearlman J, Ohman MD, Niehoff B, Möller KO, Miloslavich P, Lara-Lpez A, Kudela R, Lopes RM, Kiko R, Karp-Boss L, Jaffe JS, Iversen MH, Irisson J-O, Fennel K, Hauss H, Guidi L, Gorsky G, Giering SLC, Gaube P, Gallager S, Dubelaar G, Cowen RK, Carlotti F, Briseño-Avena C, Berline L, Benoit-Bird K, Bax N, Batten S, Ayata SD, Artigas LF, Appeltans W (2019) Globally Consistent Quantitative Observations of Planktonic Ecosystems. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 196.

Key Information

  • This project has been shortlisted for funding by the ARIES NERC DTP and will start on 1st October 2024. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 10th January 2024.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a NERC studentship, which covers fees, stipend (£18,622 p.a. for 2023/24) and research funding. International applicants are eligible for fully-funded ARIES studentships including fees. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK. We expect to award between 4 and 6 studentships to international candidates in 2024.
  • ARIES students benefit from bespoke graduate training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis, visa requirements notwithstanding.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential, and will be stored on the UEA sharepoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships, and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be ask to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES funding is subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. See https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information

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