Postdoc position in biology (CIFAR – Center of Excellence, Aarhus University)

Aarhus University; Aarhus; In loco; DKK 420.000 - 540.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Aarhus University invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position in Biology under the CIFAR Center of Excellence umbrella. The project focuses on seasonal carbonate chemistry and air‑sea CO2 exchange in Greenland fjords undergoing freshening, blending fieldwork, experiments, and existing environmental datasets.

The successful candidate will work within the Department of Biology, CIFAR, and collaborate across disciplines to understand how freshwater inputs, mixing, and sea-ice changes

Competenze

• PhD in chemical oceanography, marine science, or a related discipline.
• Excellent programming skills in R and Python or similar.
• Advanced statistical and data-analysis skills.

Mansioni

• Participate in field campaigns in Greenland, including collection of carbonate chemistry samples and measuring CO2 in the water column.
• Investigate seasonal changes in the marine carbonate system and controls on air‑sea CO2 exchange.
• Conduct experiments to disentangle effects of freshwater input and other environmental drivers on carbonate chemistry.
• Integrate field observations, experimental results, and datasets to quantify seasonal and annual CO2 uptake in Greenland fjord systems.
• Assess how continued freshening and changing sea-ice conditions may alter the future role of Greenland fjords in the Arctic carbon cycle.

Conoscenze

R programming

Python programming

Statistical analysis

Independent work

English proficiency

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Formazione

PhD in chemical oceanography or marine science

Strumenti

R

Python

Descrizione del lavoro

Postdoc Position in Biology (CIFAR – Center of Excellence, Aarhus University)

Applications are invited for a two-year postdoctoral position within the Center for Ice-Free Arctic Research (CIFAR) and the Department of Biology at Aarhus University.

Rapid warming is increasing freshwater inputs to the Arctic Ocean from melting glaciers, ice sheets, and altered precipitation patterns. At the same time, sea-ice cover is declining and the duration of the open‑water season is increasing. These changes are fundamentally transforming the structure and functioning of the Arctic coastal ocean. CIFAR aims to understand how the complex interplay between ice melt, terrestrial runoff, and changing ocean conditions affects Arctic coastal ecosystems and their functioning across spatial and temporal scales.

Greenland fjords are important sites of carbon cycling and can act as substantial sinks for atmospheric CO2 during the productive summer season. Simultaneously, increasing freshwater inputs are altering the marine carbonate system and contributing to ocean acidification. Yet, our understanding of both CO2 exchange and carbonate chemistry remains strongly biased toward the summer months, leaving major uncertainties about how these systems function across the full annual cycle.

Ongoing changes in freshwater input, stratification and sea-ice cover may alter the magnitude and seasonality of air‑sea CO2 exchange. Longer ice‑free periods provide a greater window for exchange with the atmosphere, while freshwater‑driven changes in carbonate chemistry and stratification can further influence the capacity of surface waters to take up CO2. However, we know comparatively little about what happens outside of summer, making it difficult to determine annual CO2 uptake and predict how the carbon sink may respond to continued freshening and sea ice loss.

The autumn transition is a particularly important, but poorly understood, period. As terrestrial runoff ceases and freshwater‑driven stratification weakens, deeper mixing alters surface‑water carbonate chemistry while waters remain exposed to the atmosphere before sea‑ice formation. How important are these seasonal transitions for annual CO2 uptake, how are they expected to change in the future, and how does their contribution compare with the strongly freshened summer period?

This postdoctoral project will address these questions by investigating seasonal carbonate system dynamics and air‑sea CO2 exchange in Greenland fjords undergoing freshening. The successful candidate will combine field observations, experiments, and existing environmental datasets to determine how freshwater inputs, mixing, biological processes, and sea‑ice cover regulate carbonate chemistry and CO2 exchange across seasons.

The postdoctoral researcher will:

• Participate in field campaigns in Greenland, including collection of carbonate chemistry samples and measuring CO2 in the water column.
• Investigate seasonal changes in the marine carbonate system and controls on air‑sea CO2 exchange.
• Conduct experiments designed to disentangle the effects of freshwater input and other environmental drivers on carbonate chemistry.
• Integrate field observations, experimental results, and complementary datasets to quantify seasonal and annual CO2 uptake in Greenland fjord systems.
• Assess how continued freshening and changing sea‑ice conditions may alter the future role of Greenland fjords in the Arctic carbon cycle.

The successful candidate will have opportunity to develop independent research questions within this framework and to integrate observations and experimental approaches across the wider CIFAR research program. Ultimately, the project will help determine how the capacity for CO2 uptake and acidification in Greenland's rapidly changing fjords will be affected in the future.

Expected Start Date and Duration of Employment

This is a two-year postdoctoral position (37 hours/week) from 1 March 2027.

Qualifications

• A PhD in chemical oceanography, marine science, or a related discipline.
• Excellent programming skills in R and Python or similar.
• Advanced statistical and data-analysis skills.
• The ability to work independently, develop research questions, and think creatively and critically.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
• An ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment.

Experience with fieldwork in Arctic, polar, or other remote or extreme environments is highly desirable.

Experience with public dissemination and outreach of research results would also be an advantage.

Place of Work

This position will be administered through Aarhus University. Place of employment is Center for Ice‑free Arctic Research (CIFAR) at Aarhus University, Department of Biology, 1134, 220, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Salary and terms

Salary and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8.

Equality and Diversity

We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Contact

Questions about the Position?
Søren Rysgaard, Professor, Department of Biology – Aquatic Biology
[phone]
[e-mail]

Questions about Application and Process?
Nat-Tech Administrative Centre – Nat-Tech HR
[phone]
[e-mail]

Deadline: Tuesday 3 Nov 2026 at 23:59 CET

Tagged as: Life Sciences