Graduate Student Opportunity in Ocean Oxygen Dynamics at University of Victoria, BC, Canada

We are seeking a motivated MSc or PhD student to study oxygen production in the NE Pacific as a member of the Ocean Gases Lab. This position is based at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria in beautiful Victoria, BC, Canada. Marine production of organic matter transforms carbon dioxide to organic carbon, some of which sinks to the deep ocean where it is sequestered away from the atmosphere for many years. The rate of this ‘export’ of organic carbon affects global climate and can be determined from the simultaneous production of oxygen in the surface ocean. Accurate estimates of this rate are possible from ships, but are limited in time and space. New oxygen measurements from profiling floats (https://argo.ucsd.edu/) offer the potential to greatly expand these biological carbon export estimates, but further development and application is needed.

Prospective students should be bright and self-motivated with good communication skills. We are looking for a student with the ability to think logically, to work independently, and to perform detailed computational analyses. The student will work on developing corrections / calibrations appropriate to Argo floats in the NE Pacific and transforming those corrected oxygen measurements to biological production rates. The project may also include development of empirical relationships based on existing hydrographic data. Experience in analysis of large datasets and scientific analysis software such as Python or MATLAB is an asset. For further information, see the team website at http://oceangaseslab.uvic.ca/ and contact Dr. Roberta Hamme at rhamme@uvic.ca. Applications are due at University of Victoria by 15 February for full consideration. Most international students should take the GRE and may need to demonstrate English proficiency through tests like TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB.