One post-doc position focusing on the vulnerability of fish communities to global warming is available at the RECOVER laboratory in the freshwater ecology (FRESHCO) team at the INRAE of Aix-En-Provence (France). The post-doc will work in collaboration with Arnaud SENTIS (INRAE), Anthony MAIRE (EDF) and Julien DI PANE (EDF) as well as other researchers, Ph.D. students, and Post-doc. This position is funded by the HYNES (EDF-INRAE) project WAVE.
Temperature affects the ecology and biology of species (e.g. survival, growth, body size) as well as their interactions, which may have a significant impact on community structure and dynamics. However, most previous work has focused on the vulnerability of populations and we still lack information on the climatic vulnerability of entire communities. To fill this research gap, the successful candidate will investigate the thermal vulnerability of fish communities in large French rivers, focusing on their thermal tolerance and exposure, and changes in vulnerability over time. The data to be mobilized consist of long-term (20-40 years) time series of fish species densities (catch per unit effort) collected as part of the regulatory hydro-ecological monitoring of 11 French nuclear power plants. By combining thermal tolerance data and water temperature records, he/she will develop a community-level indicator of vulnerability to thermal stress (e.g. heat waves) and predict potential impacts of warming on aquatic biodiversity. The researcher will address the thermal vulnerability of fish species and communities near nuclear power plants and explore the relationship between community thermal vulnerability and their structural dynamics.
To achieve this goal, the successful candidate will compile existing thermal tolerance data for the fish species present in the large rivers studied, estimate community thermal tolerance (TTC) and its change over time based on species density data and compare community TTC with recorded water temperatures to identify at-risk communities.
The successful candidate will join a vibrant and young team of researchers, post-docs and PhD students working on the impact of climate change on aquatic communities. We thus expect the post-doc to involve in this strong collaborative and stimulating environment.
Candidate competences:
We are seeking highly motivated candidate with good organizational skills and strong interests in community ecology, global change ecology and ecophysiology. Ph.Ds. in biology, ecology or mathematics are welcome. Candidates should be sufficiently fluent in English to be able to read and write scientific articles and engage in discussions. Expertise with data analyses, community ecology and thermal ecology will be strongly appreciated. We are also looking for a person with open mind attitude, proactive and capable to carry out research with a certain degree of autonomy.
Practical Information
Location: INRAE, UMR RECOVER, 3275 route Cézanne, 13182 Aix-en-Provence, France.
Starting Date: ~April 2025
Duration: 18 Months
Application Deadline: 10th February 2025
For informal enquiries, please contact: Arnaud Sentis (arnaud.sentis@inrae.fr), Anthony Maire (anthony.maire@edf.fr) and Julien Di Pane (julien.di-pane@edf.fr).
To Apply: Please send a CV, a motivation letter (max. 2 pages), and up to 2 recommendation letters to Arnaud Sentis, Anthony Maire and Julien Di Pane by 10th February 2025.
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