The Imperial College London is looking for a Research Associate in biological carbon pump research to work on an exciting project investigating the controls on mesopelagic respiration in the context of carbon cycling and the biological pump.

This post is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of its BIO-Carbon program, which aims to better understand carbon cycling and the biological carbon pump in the North Atlantic. The project is looking specifically at Challenge 3 of BIO-Carbon, and the role of particle turnover and respiration in the mesopelagic zone, by bacteria and other planktonic groups.

You will be responsible for at-sea measurements of sinking particle turnover rates, and mesopelagic respiration using standard and novel techniques. You will be expected to participate in a field campaign planned for 5-6 weeks April-June 2024 onboard one of NERCs state-of-the-art research ships. On return from sea, you will be responsible for working with the wider BIO-carbon team and close collaborators to process samples, analyse the data and lead the writing of peer-reviewed publications.

Duties and responsibilities

You will be responsible conducting experiments at sea working as part of a team, and in planning aspects of the fieldwork whilst onboard. On return from sea, you will be responsible for analysing some of the samples and leading on the data analysis and paper writing. More specifically:

• Filter water and prepare samples at sea for activities of electron transport system (ETS) enzymes and enzyme kinetic model (EKM) measurements
• Conduct particle turnover (oxygen consumption) incubations at sea and store samples for later analysis
• Run samples collected at-sea through a FlowCam and analyse the images collected for particle dynamics
• Collate data for use by collaborators in a synthesis toward the end of the project
• Advise, guide and assist students working on similar projects
• Take initiative in the planning of research
• Write reports for submission to research sponsors
• Publish research findings in academic journals and present them at conferences/seminars/workshops and public forums (outreach events, open days)
• You will be undertaking appropriate administration tasks and any necessary training and/or development identified in your Imperial Annual Review Conversation. You will attend relevant project meetings.

Essential requirements

• Hold a PhD in marine biogeochemistry or related field or a closely related discipline, preferably with a research background in the biological carbon pump
• Experience in setting up and running aquatic laboratory experiments/sample analysis
• Knowledge of marine carbon cycling through respiration, particularly in the mesopelagic zone and in the context of the biological carbon pump
• Good quantitative knowledge and data analysis
• Ability to run fieldwork/laboratory experiments with collaborators
• Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision
• Medically fit to go to sea and pass a medical by the contract start date
• Ability and willingness to travel nationally for several weeks to learn new techniques/analyse samples in collaboration with project partners