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Master’s Studentship: Ocean Science Stellenbosch

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The CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)is a leading scientific and technology research organisation, implementing projects throughout Africa and making a difference in people’s lives.

Master’s Studentship: Ocean Science
Stellenbosch

About us:
CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) exists to conduct world-class, directed inter-disciplinary research and technological innovation, with partners and stakeholders, in the field(s) of natural resources and the environment to contribute to the social, economic and environmental improvement of South Africa and Africa.
The Southern Ocean is acknowledged to be a key component of past, present and future variability in the global carbon cycle, air-sea CO2 exchange and the evolution of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In this context, biological productivity by phytoplankton and its variability plays a crucial role in the regional carbon cycle, as well as controlling species diversity and Antarctic food webs. The consequences are impact on important ecosystem services, such as fisheries, alongside biogeochemical cycles and climate. Low levels of Iron (Fe) and light availability have been suggested as the main limiting factors for primary productivity (phytoplankton growth) and the biological carbon pump.
The over-arching aim of this project is to investigate how the Southern Ocean phytoplankton community respond to Fe and light limitation by conducting a coupled laboratory cultures-field bioassay studies focused on understanding the physiological and photosynthetic responses to the factors limiting their growth and the quantitative impact on the cycles of carbon and other nutrients.
 We are offering a Studentship opportunity to be involved with thisresearch.
 Qualification, skills and experience
We seek candidates with an Honours or equivalent BTech degree with the following specific qualities:
  1. A background in chemistry, chemical oceanography, bio-geochemistry, environmental chemistry, botany or related fields with an emphasis on metal cycling, trace element speciation and plant physiology.
  2. General skills of good laboratory work (especially under trace clean conditions), culturing marine phytoplankton and some degree of numerical flexibility in analysing datasets and computer programming would be helpful.
  3. Use of analytical techniques such as Flow Injection Analyser (FIA), ICP-MS, Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer (FRRF), electron microscope, HPLC, Flow Cytometry, CHN-analyser, electrochemical methods and/or UV-Vis spectroscopy would be advantageous.
  4. Good communication and interpersonal skills.
  5. The ability to work in a cross-disciplinary project team environment.
  6. Highly self-motivated.
If the above are of interest to you, please apply for the studentship by submitting the online application (including a detailed copy of your CV, motivation letter and academic transcripts).
Closing date:30 November 2012

https://candidate.csir.co.za/psp/hr91prd_cgw/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=301982&SiteId=1&PostingSeq=1

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