*PhD student to study the diversity of deep sea zooplankton and impact of deep sea mining (4 years, fully funded)* You will combine sea-going research and laboratory analyses to study the diversity and abundance of planktonic animals from the surface ocean to the seabed. Join the Marine Evolution & Ecology research group at Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden, the Netherlands)! https://www.naturalis.nl/en/science/marine-evolution-ecology More info: https://shorturl.at/uthv7 apply by 27 April 2025 *Position* As PhD student you will combine sea-going research and laboratory analysis to study the diversity, abundance and community composition of planktonic animals from the surface ocean to the seabed. Zooplankton abundance and biodiversity in different size classes will be characterised using depth-stratified net tows, water column profiling with an underwater particle and plankton imaging system (UVP6), and a combination of morphological and molecular techniques (DNA metabarcoding). Focus areas are the polymetallic nodule fields in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and hydrothermal vent fields and associated seafloor massive sulfides in the Arctic Mid Atlantic Ridge. You will be part of a "biodiversity" team at Naturalis and NIOZ, and you will work closely with another PhD student focussing on benthic biodiversity. As member of the International MiningImpact3 consortium, you will embrace an open and sharing team effort including the active exchange of data and results, regular team meetings, and integrative analyses. You will be supervised by a team of scientists from Naturalis and NIOZ, and your PhD will be awarded by the University of Amsterdam. Training and courses during the PhD trajectory will be offered by Naturalis, national graduate schools and internationally. *General requirements and skills* The ideal candidate is highly motivated, ambitious, creative and has a keen interest in deep-sea biodiversity. The successful candidate will have the following qualifications: -an MSc degree with specialisation in ecology, evolution, biological oceanography or a closely related discipline; -experience with genetic methods (DNA barcoding, metabarcoding) and/or sampling on oceanographic expeditions; -excellent command of the English language; -excellent communication and presentation skills (writing and speaking); -knowledge of statistics and computer language, like R; -the ability to work independently as well as in a team. *About us* Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden is the Dutch national research institute for biodiversity and systematics. With our collection of 42 million specimens, one of the world's largest natural history collections, and our state-of-the-art research facilities we offer the (inter)national research infrastructure for species, identification and monitoring. We closely collaborate with many Dutch universities, research institutes, industry, and government. We host over 120 researchers including 15 academia embedded professors and 40 PhD students. We present the history of our planet, and the diversity of life on Earth, through permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, educational programmes, and online presence, with more than 400,000 visitors per year. All in all, a unique combination of science and culture in the Netherlands and elsewhere in the world! The research department is organised in nine research groups comprising researchers and their postdocs and PhD-students. The current position will be in the research group Marine Evolution & Ecology, led by Katja Peijnenburg. Naturalis has a completely new lab building, including state-of-the-art molecular facilities, microCT scanners and electron microscopy. ROYAL NIOZ NWO-NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the Dutch national oceanographic institute and principally performs academically excellent multidisciplinary, fundamental, and frontier applied marine research addressing important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of the ocean and seas. NIOZ includes the National Marine research Facilities (NMF) department that operates a fleet of research vessels and the national pool of large seagoing equipment, and supports excellence in multidisciplinary marine research, education, and policy development. *We offer* A contract (36 hours per week) for a period of one year, to be extended with three more years after a successful first year evaluation, and a monthly starting salary of euro 3,187.- gross. Additionally, the PhD candidate gets an allowance for travel expenses, holiday allowance (8%) and year-end bonus (3.4%). The starting date is preferably 1 July 2025. The successful candidate will be employed by Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden. Naturalis offers an inspiring working atmosphere with effective and efficient supervision of our PhD candidates. Our Research Coordination Office also provides ample support to our scientific staff. Our institute promotes gender equality and wants to enhance the diversity of staff members. Feel free to contact Katja Peijnenburg with questions about the position: Katja.Peijnenburg@naturalis.nl. For procedural questions related to the application please contact HR: sollicitaties@naturalis.nl. *Procedure* Applicants are invited to submit their application in one pdf, including a cover/motivation letter (max. 2 pages) and CV (max. 3 pages) and the names and contact details of two referees. Apply here: https://shorturl.at/uthv7 by 27 April 2025 Information on selection for pre-interviews before 9 May 2025, online pre-interviews scheduled for 19 and 20 may 2025; selected candidates will be invited for a preferably in-person interview on 23 or 28 May 2025. The start of the position is ideally by 1st July 2025. Naturalis endorses the Cultural Diversity Code. In the case of equal suitability, preference is given to the candidate who reinforces diversity within the team. Katja Peijnenburg (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)