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From: ECOLOG-L <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Jason Venkiteswaran <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Reply-To: Jason Venkiteswaran <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Friday, January 6, 2017 at 9:05 AM
To: ECOLOG-L <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] GRADUATE STUDENT & POST DOC OPPORTUNITIES IN AQUATIC ECOLOGY & BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
Resent-From: Jim Schneider <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Resent-Date: Friday, January 6, 2017 at 9:40 AM

GRADUATE STUDENT & POST DOC OPPORTUNITIES IN AQUATIC ECOLOGY & BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

We are seeking 2 to 3 graduate students (MSc and/or PhD) and a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) to participate in a collaborative investigation with IISD-ELA, University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and York University of iron cycling in lakes and iron regulation of competition between cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton. This is an opportunity to engage in laboratory and field studies in support of a project at the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in northwestern Ontario where background information on chemistry, biology and physics of lakes has been collected over the past 47 years.

Project Summary:

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes and reservoirs constitute a major threat to human health and, by extension, to the Canadian economy. HABs, especially those associated with cyanobacteria (cyano-HABs), have direct impacts on the safety of drinking water supplies by producing a variety of liver and nerve toxins in addition to causing taste and odour problems. Cyano-HABs have been increasing in recent years across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia. There is an urgent need to improve the science and to manage risk with regard to cyano-HABs. Inputs of the main nutrients, P and N, have been the focus of much research and management efforts. Recently a new hypothesis centres on the importance of the availability of iron (Fe) in the form of Fe(II) as the key to formation of cyanobacterial blooms. Determining the source of Fe(II) available to cyanobacteria is, however, difficult. We have discovered that the natural stable isotopes of Fe hold great promise to decipher the source of Fe used by cyanobacteria. Our project will evaluate this novel isotopic tool for understanding Fe cycling in lakes and reservoirs at risk from cyano-HABs.

Opportunities:

A series of field campaigns at the ELA, laboratory experiments and modelling exercises will evaluate the Fe cycling in boreal lakes and the use of natural stable Fe isotopes. Carefully selected samples from other lakes and reservoirs across Canada, collected by collaborating scientists, will also be analyzed to evaluate the potential for widespread application of this promising novel technique. Potential graduate student research projects will be (1) examine how nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations affect Fe fractionation in algal cultures (MSc) and (2) determine the seasonality of Fe, C and N stable isotope values in several lakes (MSc or PhD) concurrent with seasonal algal succession. (3) The postdoctoral fellow will apply comprehensive biogeochemical lake and sediment models to coupled cycling of C, N, P, Fe, S and O2 using historical and current ELA data.

Interested Applicants:

For further information: See either Lewis Molot or Sherry Schiff at the CCFFR-SCL conference in Montréal 5-8 January 2017 or send email to:

Prof. Lewis Molot
Faculty of Environmental Studies
York University
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
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Prof. Jason Venkiteswaran
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5
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Prof. Sherry Schiff
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
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Jason.

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Jason Venkiteswaran, PhD
Assistant Professor
Geography & Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
https://wlu.ca/jvenkiteswaran