Application deadline: 1 December 2023
About the research programme:
The student’s research will apply bulk and compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids in zooplankton size fractions to infer carbon and nitrogen sources throughout the Gulf of Mexico and examine their variability relative to Ocean Acidification (OA) indicators and other environmental variables. The research will capitalize on sampling and measurements performed during the gulf-wide NOAA Ocean Acidification Program GOMECC cruises and is a collaborative effort with the University of Miami, the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, and the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE, Mexico).
The project will implement a multivariate approach to identify the environmental variables correlating with micro and meso-zooplankton biomass and community composition (including larval fishes) and partition the variability. The results will support ecosystem modeling efforts on the response of the zooplankton communities and the biological carbon pump to OA in the Gulf of Mexico.
Application:
Candidates will apply to the Graduate Program in Marine Science at the University of Texas at Austin, based at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. The deadline for admission is December 1 and decisions are made before April 1. Please see the program and admission information link.
If interested or for additional information, please contact:
Dr. Sharon Z Herzka (Sharon.herzka@utexas.edu), Associate Professor, Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin
