Internship Primary productivity in the Wadden Sea using stable isotope (¹³C)
Phytoplankton primary productivity underpins coastal food webs and carbon cycling. In shallow, tidally mixed systems such as the Wadden Sea, productivity can vary on tidal to seasonal timescales. This variability is largely driven by changing light availability (often controlled by turbidity), tidal mixing and sediment resuspension, and fluctuations in nutrient supply and recycling. For its long-term monitoring program, NIOZ is transitioning primary productivity measurements from the traditional ¹⁴C method to a stable isotope (¹³C) uptake approach. This enables routine measurements without radioactive tracers and supports long-term continuity of the time series.
Description
The student will contribute to the ¹³C-based productivity workflow, including preparation and processing of incubation samples for stable isotope analysis, calculation of carbon fixation rates, and data analysis and interpretation alongside supporting environmental data (e.g., chlorophyll a, nutrients, light/turbidity).
Requirements and application
The student will be based at NIOZ on Texel for ~6 months, with a flexible start date.
If you are interested in the project, please contact Amrita Bhaumik (amrita.bhaumik@nioz.nl).