Overview
In this exciting and novel PhD project, you’ll assess the role of large rivers in promoting marine hypoxia in a Caribbean Bay.
About this opportunity
Ocean deoxygenation is an increasing problem in coastal waters around the world. Hypoxia (dissolved oxygen < 2 mg/L) can result in the catastrophic mortality of marine life as evidenced by marine “dead zones”. Tropical marine hypoxia is under-reported and under-studied compared to hypoxia in temperate and sub-tropical ecosystems.
In the case of Almirante Bay, in Panama, there is annual hypoxia. There are a few proposed reasons for the hypoxia, including shallow bathymetry of the Bay, weak tides, wind patterns, anthropogenic nutrient inputs, and freshwater inputs. Marine hypoxia impacts coral reef and ecosystem health, tourism, and livelihoods in the Bay. Preliminary model outputs for Almirante Bay suggest that the drivers of hypoxia in tropical bays may differ from the drivers of temperate and sub-tropical systems as excess nutrient inputs are often the main factor. Through this project you’ll provide novel insights into how freshwater inputs, specifically large rivers, prevent coastal water column turnover and promote stagnation, and hypoxia in tropical coastal areas.
What you’ll do
You will be based at the University of Liverpool for the duration of your degree. You will carry out fieldwork at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and carry out your sample analysis at the Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA.
You’ll carry out field research in the Caribbean in Panama. You’ll spend around 2-3 months in Panama at the Bocas del Toro Research Station, part of STRI. You’ll collect water samples for stable isotope analyses and other geochemical parameters and monitor physical/chemical parameters in Almirante Bay using a YSI Sonde.
You’ll receive analytical skills training and analyse your samples for around 2 months in the Torres lab, at Rice University. You will analyse your water samples for a variety of biogeochemical parameters including water isotopes.
Additionally, you’ll create a mixing model utilising established programming scripts with your results, determine the role of freshwater pulses in preventing turnover in Almirante Bay, and summarise the conditions when rivers promote hypoxia. Finally, you’ll make recommendations to the hydroelectric company on when they should reduce flows to promote reoxygenation in the Bay.
Supervision team
Through international collaboration, including a CASE partner and an external co-supervisor, you’ll have a unique experience. You’ll be a part of a cohesive, diverse, interdisciplinary, and successful research team with supervisors: Dr Kasey Clark and Prof Jonathan Sharples (University of Liverpool), ACCE+ CASE Partner Dr Rachel Collin (STRI), and external supervisor Associate Prof Mark Torres (Rice University, USA).
Project CASE Status
This project is a CASE project. Your project will be co-supervised by the non-academic partner organisation, and you will spend 3-6 months on a placement with your CASE partner in their workplace. You will experience training, facilities and expertise not available in an academic setting, and will build business and research collaborations.