Post-doc position: North Sea Zooplankton Dynamics (2 year) NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research in Netherlands

Post-doc opportunity at NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

This 2-year postdoctoral position is part of the MONS project and focuses on North Sea zooplankton dynamics, especially the transfer of zooplankton to higher trophic levels such as fish larvae and jellyfish in a rapidly changing marine environment. The work is based at the Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems in Yerseke, within the Dutch national oceanographic institute NIOZ.

The project sits at the intersection of marine ecology, food-web research, and applied ocean science. A major aim is to understand how changing North Sea conditions, including pressures from climate change, offshore wind development, fisheries, aquaculture, and conservation measures, affect zooplankton communities and their role in energy transfer through the marine food web. The project builds on a new North Sea zooplankton monitoring programme that started in 2023 and uses data collected in 2026.

The research combines two complementary approaches. First, the successful candidate will analyse monitoring data on size, biomass, isotope measurements, and associated DNA metabarcoding results from fish and jellyfish samples, including gut contents and isotope data already collected in field campaigns. Second, the project will explore trophic transfer efficiency in experimental mesocosms, using stable isotope enrichments as trophic tracers. There is also the possibility to join multiday research cruises in the North Sea for additional sampling.

The postdoc will work in a collaborative environment with two PhD students and marine scientists at NIOZ, Wageningen Marine Research, Rijkswaterstaat, and partner groups including Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Cefas in the UK. The project therefore offers strong interdisciplinary interaction across marine ecology, monitoring, and food-web studies.

Eligibility and profile: applicants should hold a PhD in marine ecology. Experience with DNA metabarcoding is required, while experience with stable isotope analysis and/or lab or mesocosm experimentation is an advantage. The institute also asks for excellent English writing and communication skills, peer-reviewed first-author publications, conference presentation experience, strong organisation, accuracy, and the ability to work collaboratively in a changing research context.

Funding and conditions: this is a full-time paid postdoctoral appointment for a maximum of 24 months, with salary according to CAO-WVOI scale 10 and depending on experience. Employment benefits include holiday allowance, year-end bonus, pension contributions, public transport reimbursement, and support with relocation and accommodation.

Application deadline: 15 October 2026.

How to apply: submit your application via the NIOZ vacancy page. For further information about the vacancy, contact Dr. Dick van Oevelen. For procedural questions, use the listed HR email address.