Graduate Research Assistantship at Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
(LUMCON), Cocodrie, Louisiana, USA
Funds are available on the following NSF-funded project to support a M.S.
or Ph.D. student interested in phytoplankton ecology and/or marine coastal
eutrophication, starting in the fall of 1999 (summer support also possible).
Title: Si, N, and P Limitation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico:
Phytoplankton Responses to Increased N and P Delivery from the Mississippi
River
Brief Description: Nutrient inputs from the Mississippi River have changed
substantially since the 1950's, leading to increased eutrophication in the
northern Gulf of Mexico, as indicated by hypoxia and Harmful Algal Blooms.
N, P, and Si limitation, which can occur at different times and places in
the northern Gulf, can determine the phytoplankton species composition and
the impacts of eutrophication. In this 3 year study, Quay Dortch, from
LUMCON, and Dave Nelson, from Oregon State University, will determine when
and where N, P, and Si are limiting. They will use a series of bioassays
with a newly available isotope of Si and changes in phytoplankton species
composition, as well as other methods, on two to four cruises a year along
the Louisiana coast. This project will address applied questions about the
process of coastal eutrophication due to anthropogenic increases in
nutrient inputs and basic ecological questions about resource competition.
The graduate assistant can choose some part of this project for a M.S. or
Ph.D. thesis. He/she will be expected to participate in cruises and some
aspect of the sample analysis, depending on experience and choice of thesis
topics. Because LUMCON is a Consortium and does not grant degrees, the
student has the choice of applying for graduate study at either Louisiana
State University (Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences or the
Biological Sciences Department) or at the University of Southwestern
Louisiana (Biology Department).
For further information about the position, see Job Ads at
http://www.lumcon.edu/. Interested students should contact Dr. Quay Dortch
by e-mail (qdortch at lumcon.edu) or call 504/851-2800 about the application
process.
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Quay Dortch
Associate Professor
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)
8124 Highway 56
Chauvin, LA 70344
504/851-2800
504/851-2874 (FAX)
qdortch at lumcon.edu
www.lumcon.edu
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