PhD student in Arctic freshwater ecology

SLU - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala kommun; On-site; SEK 357,000 - 469,000; Full time

Job summary

SLU - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala seeks a PhD candidate in Biology with specialization in ecology to investigate how climate-driven vegetation change and winter conditions affect Arctic/alpine lake habitats and food webs. The project is part of an international consortium and uses samples from circumpolar lakes, with open-water and under-ice campaigns.

The position is a 4-year doctoral student contract with salaries set by the local collective agreement; selection will

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in ecology, limnology or related field with a degree project.
• Strong background in ecology and environmental sciences as required by the program.
• English proficiency comparable to Engelska B/6; Swedish fluency preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct seasonal sampling of lake ecosystems in open-water and under-ice conditions.
• Analyze PUFA biomarkers and cyanotoxins using chromatographic techniques.
• Integrate and synthesize existing data with new measurements on fatty acids, toxins and isotopes.
• Apply Bayesian mixing models to study consumer diets and food-web pathways.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Independent & team work

Critical thinking

Swedish language skills

Driver's license (Sweden)

Education

Master’s degree in ecology or related field

Degree project (thesis)

Tools

Biomarker analysis

Bayesian mixing models

Under-ice sampling techniques

Chromatographic analysis

Job description

Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment

Third-cycle subject area

Biology with specialisation in ecology

Description Of The Doctoral Project

The overall aim of this PhD project is to understand the influence of climate-driven changes in vegetation cover and winter conditions on habitats and food webs of Arctic/alpine lakes. Climate change is promoting the expansion of terrestrial vegetation, which enhances nutrient sequestration in the Arctic/alpine landscapes and contributes to long-term declines in nutrient input to lakes (i.e., oligotrophication). Concurrently, changing winter conditions, including shorter ice-covered periods and increased snow cover, alter underwater light availability for primary production and oxygen availability for aquatic organisms during winter. This project will use a space-for-time field survey approach to (i) assess the effects of lake oligotrophication and changing winter conditions on benthic biofilm communities across different lake habitats; (ii) evaluate the consequences of biofilm compositional changes for the production and trophic transfer of health-promoting biomolecules (i.e., essential polyunsaturated fatty acids PUFA) versus harmful biomolecules (i.e., cyanotoxins) to higher trophic levels including fish; and (iii) quantify the extent to which oligotrophication and changing winter conditions alter Arctic/alpine lake food webs, including consumer diets, the relative importance of benthic versus pelagic energy pathways, and food-chain length.

About The Position

The candidate will work with an international consortium involving collaborators from across the Nordic countries and North America. The project will use samples and data collected from Arctic/alpine lakes in Sweden and other circumpolar regions. Implementation methods will include:

• Seasonal sampling of food web components, from primary producers to fish, during open-water (summer) and under-ice (winter) conditions.
• Analysis of biomarkers (PUFA and cyanotoxins) in biological samples using chromatographic techniques.
• Integration and synthesis of previous data with newly collected data on fatty acids, cyanotoxins, and stable isotopes.
• Application of Bayesian mixing models to investigate consumer diets and food web pathways

Requirements

To meet the general entry requirements you must have been awarded a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance 1993:100, Chapter 7, Section 39).

Specific entry requirements for the third-cycle courses and study programme in Biology with specialisation in ecology. To meet the specific entry requirements, you must have least 90 HEC in biology-related subjects. This must include a degree project and at least 30 HEC must be at second-cycle level.

You must also meet the equivalent English language requirements as those necessary for the Swedish upper-secondary qualification Engelska B/6.

Your profile

Applicants should hold a degree in aquatic ecology, limnology, ecology, or equivalent. Experience in winter biological sampling at ice-covered lakes is highly meritorious. Strong skills in statistical analysis, experience in scientific publication, and fluency in written and oral Swedish are merits. Advantageous attributes include a working knowledge of aquatic food webs (e.g., algae, macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, fish), Arctic ecology, and/or biogeochemistry. Experience in relevant biological sampling techniques and in biomarker analysis is also advantageous. Emphasis will also be placed on personal qualities including the capability of critical thinking, problem‑solving skills, and the capacity to work independently and in a team. Strong written and spoken English skills, as well as a driver’s license valid for use in Sweden, are required.

About Us

The Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment is working with applied environmental science, with a national responsibility for assessing the condition of Swedish surface waters with respect to water chemistry, pollution and aquatic biota. The research focuses on geochemical and hydrological processes, aquatic ecology and biodiversity, microbial ecology as well as on environmental chemistry and aquatic ecotoxicology. The department has about 150 employees, of which approximately half are researchers/doctoral students and the other half are technical and administrative staff.

For more information about the department visit: http://www.slu.se/aquatic-sciences

Read more about staff benefits and life as an SLU employee on https://www.slu.se/om-slu/jobba-pa-slu/

Read more about third-cycle courses and study programmes on http://www.slu.se/utbildning/program-kurser/forskarutbildning/

Form of employment / Funding

Employment as a doctoral student (4-year programme).

Doctoral student’s salaries are set following the local collective agreement. Salary progression is fixed.

Location

Uppsala

Scope

100%

Start date

December 2026.

Application and selection

Selection among eligible applicants is based on the documents attached to the application, and is carried out with regard to the applicant’s ability to complete the programme within the allotted time.

Academic union representatives

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/