Post-doctoral position in coastal plankton ecology using large imaging datasets

We are offering a post doctoral position in coastal plankton ecology using large imaging datasets
https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7093-MADWAL-016/Default.aspx?lang=EN
The position is pretty open in terms of research questions, within the general field of plankton ecology, and candidates will be encouraged to shape it to their own interests, to ensure that they get the most out of this experience.

The main elements are mentioned below:

The position is centered on the Tara Europa mission (https://fondationtaraocean.org/en/expedition/tara-europa/) which is sampling the coasts of Europe over 2023 and 2024. Coastal waters are sampled in various sites and plankton organisms are imaged using various instruments (IFCB, Flowcam and ZooScan), hence giving access to a wide size spectrum of organisms (from 10µm to mm). In addition, a large number of other variables are sampled (pertaining to physics, biogeochemistry, etc.) or collected from databases (satellite imagery, etc.), providing a rich context for the plankton observations. At various sites, specific mesoscale structures are targeted and/or inshore-offshore gradients are sampled. The general objective of the post-doc is to relate some aspects of the plankton community to the environmental forcing processes, in the complex and dynamic coastal environment. It could be the general composition but also the trophodynamics, the size distribution, the rate of parasitism or symbiosis, etc. all of which are accessible from the images. The specific orientation of the work is deliberately left open, to allow the selected candidate to pursue a line of research that they will be most interested in and that fits with their career goals.
The position is open for 2 years (to be adjusted depending on experience and salary). The person hired for this position will work within the context of European project BiOcean5D (https://biocean5d.org/), which assembles 30 partners from 11 countries to study the land-sea continuum along the coasts of Europe. In particular, this work will be carried out as part of the WP3 « Data to knowledge: building a digital foundation to explore marine biodiversity ».

Activities
– Assemble datasets in a format ready for analysis. The candidate will be assisted in this task by the data hub built in the project and by a data manager already hired in the lab.
– Define one (or several) precise research questions and perform data analysis to explore them.
– Write scientific papers and give scientific presentations in international meetings.
– Participate in project meetings and in the team and lab meetings in Villefranche.

Transversal knowledge required :
– PhD in oceanography or marine biology
– Knowledge in plankton ecology (and basic taxonomy), with a specific focus on phytoplankton

Technical skills :
– Ability to handle large datasets (hundred thousands to millions of rows) using a programming language (e.g. R, Python, MATLAB)
– Good knowledge of descriptive multivariate data analyses (Principal Components Analysis, Factorial Analysis)
– Knowledge of some regression analyses (generalised linear models, machine learning-based regression, redundancy analysis, etc.)
– Ideally, working knowledge or acquaintance with digital image processing

People skills :
– Taste for team work as part of a large international project
– Good communication skills