PhD : Effects of climate change on the productivity of sardine in the English Channel (M/F)

Job title:

PhD : Effects of climate change on the productivity of sardine in the English Channel (M/F)

Company:

Ifremer

Job description

Les missions du posteIfremer undertakes research missions, offers expert advice and acts as a funding agency.Ifremer performs targeted applied research to address the questions posed by society (climate change effects, marine biodiversity, pollution prevention, seafood quality etc.). Results include scientific knowledge, technological innovations, and systems for ocean observation and exploration. Partnerships may be public, private or a combination of the two.Ifremer works in a network with the French scientific community, also collaborating with international partner organizations, in the frame of several national and international projects, including contractual activities.The Channel & North Sea Fisheries Research Unit (Unité Halieutique Manche Mer du Nord, HMMN) is investigating the dynamics of marine fisheries, ecosystems and biodiversity, subject to the pressure of fisheries and other human activities in a global change context, as well as evaluating management strategies to mitigate the impact of these pressures.SummarySmall pelagic fish are a valuable source of nutriments, particularly omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for human health. These fish also play a pivotal role within marine ecosystems, representing an important food source to larger predators and at the same time mitigating the dynamics of lower trophic levels.Sardine is a species of commercial interest for coastal vessels fishing in the English Channel, particularly since the re-opening of the fishery in the Bay of Seine. This interest is likely to grow in the future as a result of the expected (climate-driven) northwards latitudinal shift of sardine habitats. However, the biology and ecology of English Channel sardine are still poorly understood, and this PhD thesis project will bring new information on the mechanisms driving both recruitment and spawners’ condition, which will input evaluation and projection models. This PhD thesis aims at understanding past dynamics and anticipating the future trajectories of English Channel productivity, in a global change context. The project has three overarching objectives : (1) To gain knowledge on the connectivity and survival of early life stages ; (2) To decypher the environmental and population dynamics mechanisms influencing spawners’ condition ; (3) To project productivity trajectories under global change.You will shed light on the spatio-temporal dynamics of English Channel spawners, eggs and larvae, which are currently poorly understood. To that purpose, you will account for the productivity of pelagic habitats, from spawning migrations to early-life stages, as well as the pressure exerted by predators and intrinsic factors. You will also perform a meta-analysis of fatty acids and prey composition data available from the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea basins in relation to environmental factors. This analysis will feed in an integrative approach aiming at better understanding sardine productivity across all French metropolitan marine basins. The model that will be developed (e.g., SEAPODYM, DEB-IBM, or others, depending on available data) will be applied to simulate the effects on future productivity trajectories of fisheries management strategies under global change.Key wordsSardine, English Channel, connectivity, spatio-temporal dynamics, ichthyoplankton, recruitment, spawning migrations, essential fatty acids, trophic ecology, modellingSpecific working conditions

• Full time
• Travelling in France and abroad
• Sea cruises
• Phd is a real opportunity to work on Ifremer’s scientific and technological priority themes. It entitle the holder to a gross monthly salary of 2300 euros gross for a period of 3 years, which cannot be combined with other scholarships.

Le profil recherchéMaster’s degree in quantitative ecology or marine ecology. The candidate will have a numerical profile, strong expertise in statistics and modelling, and the ability to program (e.g., R, SAS, MATLAB, Python).Bienvenue chez IfremerJoin Ifremer, an ally of planetary well-being, to gain a better understanding of and better protection for the ocean.From the abyss to the surface, from the coast to the open sea, Ifremer is the French research institute that is wholly dedicated to the Ocean. Its teams carry out research, innovate and produce expert reports to protect the ocean, exploit its resources in a responsible manner and shares marine data.Ifremer contributes its scientific expertise to throw light on public policies and develops solutions drawn from the ocean to meet the challenges of the ecological transition. Ifremer is the operator of France’s oceanographic fleet with its shipbuilding subsidiary Genavir, and imagines, designs and deploys leading edge technological means to solve the ocean’s mysteries.Join our teams, made up of 1500 scientists and research support staff, present all along the coastal areas of France and French overseas territories.www.ifremer.frInfos complémentairesHow to apply for this positionYour application file must include:

• a curriculum vitae
• a covering letter
• a reference letter
• an academic transcript (Bachelor + Master 1 and first semester Master 2)

Your application must be compiled into 2 PDF files, up to 3 MB for each file.The deadline for applications is April 17th 2025. Nevertheless, we strongly urge you to let us know as soon as possible of your intention to apply, by contacting the subject supervisor: Paul MARCHALDoctoral students’ contracts will start as of October 6th, 2025, subject to the submission of administrative documents authorizing Ifremer to recruit the doctoral student (certificate of completion of the Master 2 or engineering degree + visa for foreign doctoral students outside the EU).PhD : Effects of climate change on the productivity of sardine in the English Channel (M/F)

• Boulogne-sur-Mer – 62
• CDD

Expected salary

€2300 per month

Location

Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais

Job date

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 22:02:08 GMT

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