The Plankton Ecology Project Group investigates the complex feedbacks between the environment and plankton communities across ecological realms and scales, primarily through the lenses of ecological stoichiometry, trophic interactions, trait-based community ecology, and metacommunity theory. Our aim is to understand biodiversity change and its consequences for ecosystem processes, focusing on experimental approaches in combination with field observations and quantitative syntheses.
The project group at HIFMB mainly focuses on molecular monitoring of plankton organisms (e.g. via eDNA) and the analysis of monitoring data in an ecosystem management context. The HIFMB group is closely related through personnel and projects with the Plankton Ecology group at the University of Oldenburg. This group at ICBM is located in Wilhelmshaven and focuses on experimental and field ecology.
To Prospective Students
The Plankton Ecology teams at HIFMB and at ICBM offer opportunities for students, doctoral researchers and postdocs.
Bachelor and master students can inquire about thesis topics or individual research projects (as part of their curriculum) emailing any of the senior scientists in the groups. Please consider the different topical foci of the groups, molecular work rather fits into HIFMB, while experimental ecology happens mainly at ICBM Wilhelmshaven. Next to these empirical projects, we also offer data-driven projects working with existing ecological data. In your email, please specify which program you are enrolled in, which module or thesis you are envisioning, and what would be a preferred time frame. Please also state whether you are interested in experimental, field or data-driven work. Please note that empirical work requires preparation and must fit into seasonal and project timeframes, while data analysis can be more flexible in timing. We will reply with potential topics.
Doctoral students and postdocs: In contrast to other regions of the world, German doctoral and postdoctoral projects are generally funded through employments and the relevant positions are publicly announced. Please check the job listings at HIFMB and on the university job page. There you will find any vacancy we might have as a group. Please note that we have very limited capacity for additional projects in form of stipends or fellowships.
