Postdoctoral position (m/f/d, 5 yrs) "Seagrass Assisted Evolution"

at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany, one of 
the internationally leading institutions in the field of marine 
research. The project will be conducted in the research group "Marine 
Evolutionary Ecology" (PI  Prof. Thorsten Reusch, 
https://www.geomar.de/en/researchgroup-treusch).

Background and Project Description
The position is embedded into the German ANK ("Nature Based Climate 
Solutions") funded project ZOBLUC - Zostera as Blue Carbon Ecosystem 
coordinated by GEOMAR. The successful candidate will work within a 
consortium that also comprises groups at Kiel University and at the 
State Agency for Environment of Schleswig Holstein (LfU). The primary 
goal of ZOBLUC is to upscale mapping, monitoring, restoration techniques 
and stakeholder involvement for eelgrass (Zostera marina) conservation 
and restoration in the south-western Baltic Sea. The specific aim of the 
advertised position is to develop and test assisted evolution approaches 
to enhance the resilience of eelgrass restoration in the face of rapid 
ocean change. The successful applicant will establish and test diverse 
approaches that will encompass (i) breeding and artificial selection 
(ii) hybridization of different donor genotypes (iii) stress hardening 
/priming of seeds and juvenile plants. Field and tank experimentation 
will be combined with genomic approaches, in particular genome-wide 
association studies and tests for selection to determine the basis of 
adaptive responses. The successful candidate will closely collaborate 
with three other doctoral students working on related questions.

Our team comprises a scientific diving group that assists in obtaining 
samples and executing underwater experimentation. Access to 
infrastructure required to conduct large-scale omics analyses such as 
next generation sequencing and high-performance computing is available, 
as well as state-of-the art experimental facilities with running 
seawater. The successful candidate will also keep and expand 
collaborative contacts to other international groups working on seagrass 
restoration and assisted evolution in Europe and beyond.

Your ideal profile for a successful application are:
* a PhD / doctoral degree in biology, genetics, ecology, marine
   sciences, plant breeding or in a related subject
* proficiency in evolutionary biology and genetics
* proficiency in omic approaches including fluency in
   bioinformatic scripting
* a very good track of scientific publications related to career stage
* proficiency in English (written and spoken)

Desirable qualifications would be:
* experience in seagrass ecology and evolution
* knowledge in marine nature conservation regulation and management
* experience with public outreach /media
* scientific diving license
* boating license

The full-time position (39 hrs/week, approx.  euro 4000 gross) is available 
for a period of five years.

Please submit your application no later than 20 March 2025, the online 
link and further details can be found here: 
https://www.geomar.de/en/karriere/job-single-en/postdoktorandenstelle-m-w-d-seagrass-assisted-evolution

Along with the usual documents (cv, list of publications, pdf or online 
access to your dissertation, degree certificates), please include a 
one-page research outline how you would tackle the question of assisted 
evolution in eelgrass, as well as a commented list of your three most 
significant publications so far (max. 100 words per published work).
For further informal inquiries, regarding the position and research unit 
please contact Prof. Thorsten Reusch (treusch(at)geomar.de).

Thorsten Reusch <treusch@geomar.de>

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