PhD Opportunities in Freshwater Ecology in United States

PhD Student Position in Environmental Hydrology and Hydroecology The Chattopadhyay Hydroecology Lab at Texas State University is recruiting a PhD student in environmental hydrology to begin in August 2027. The research will combine ecohydrologic modelling and fieldwork in the Texas Hill Country to investigate how floods, droughts, stream drying, climate change, land use, and water demand are reshaping Texas rivers and aquatic ecosystems. Potential research directions include identifying when and...

Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is advertising PhD positions in Fish Ecology with the Höök lab in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. The projects focus on Great Lakes and large river fish ecology , including: (1) evaluating how ecosystem changes affect early life dynamics of Lake Michigan fishes, and (2) exploring fish movement and commercial fishery harvest in large Indiana rivers. Research activities will combine field sampling , laboratory studies , and quantitativ...

Graduate position (MS or PhD) in fish ecology at The Ohio State University Dr. Jennifer Hellmann is recruiting a highly motivated master’s or PhD student to join her lab in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University . The project is centered on fish ecology , with emphasis on ecology, evolution, behavior, ichthyology , and the role of developmental and transgenerational plasticity in helping organisms respond to natural and human-induced environment...

Fully funded PhD positions are available at the Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) Lab in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at the University of Central Florida (Orlando, USA). The PhD project focuses on soil and water biogeochemistry across natural and engineered soil and aquatic systems. Research activities include field sampling and analysis of soil, water, and gas, data management, statistics, and preparation of peer-reviewed publications. Funding is available fo...

Miami University’s Wagner Lab in the Department of Biology is recruiting for three fully funded positions in aquatic ecology and fisheries science in Oxford, Ohio, USA. The post highlights research on how global change affects aquatic ecosystems and freshwater fisheries, with interests spanning climate change , land use and management, invasive species, eutrophication, and persistent chemical pollutants such as PFAS . Open positions: 1) PhD Graduate Assistantship in Ecology, Evolution, and Envir...

Florida International University is advertising a PhD student opening in freshwater population/community ecology for Fall 2027 in the Aquatic Ecology lab of Dr. Nathan Dorn in North Miami, Florida, USA . The project centers on aquatic ecology , wetland ecology , population ecology , community ecology , invasive fish ecology , and trophic interactions of aquatic animals or wading birds in the context of wetland environmental variation such as droughts, floods, and nutrients. The immediate researc...

Graduate student opportunity for an MS or PhD in freshwater ecology at the University of North Dakota , in the Department of Biology. The position is in a new lab led by Matthew R. Dunkle , who is recruiting one or more students to help shape the lab’s culture and research direction. The research focuses on food web and trophic dynamics in freshwater ecosystems, using diet analysis , stable isotope methods , and related approaches. Research interests include how climate change and disturbance ev...

Postdoctoral opportunity in stormwater contaminants research with a focus on environmental science , water quality , analytical chemistry , and trace organic contaminants . The post highlights research on stormwater contaminants, environmental monitoring, and protecting aquatic ecosystems through sustainable solutions. The same research group is also recruiting multiple PhD students for the Fall 2027 intake . Prospective PhD applicants are invited to submit their interest through the linked form...