Aurora

Employment & Opportunities

Norwegian Polar Institute - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

The Norwegian Polar Institute has an opening for a four-year fixed-term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in sediment dynamics modelling. The position is based in the Marine Ecology Section in the Research Department and will contribute to the iC3 Research Units 3 (Ice sheets and the ocean) and 5 (Future climate and oceans). The section conducts research on the effects of climate change on biogeochemistry, food webs and species health in Arctic and Antarctic marine regions.

Work Content: You will work with an existing coupled physical and biogeochemical fjord model to study how sediment loads from glacier discharges affect fjord physics and biogeochemistry. The focus will be on the effects of sediments on water turbidity, thermodynamics and primary production, and on the benthic pelagic coupling through sediments deposition/resuspension and biogeochemical interactions. You will specifically:

• implement sediment deposition and resuspension in the model
• couple existing sediment biogeochemistry sub-models with the ocean model
• contribute to improved parameterizations of sediment biogeochemical processes
• carry out model testing and evaluation against observations
• write, present and publish peer-reviewed scientific articles

Qualifications: You must hold a completed PhD in Geology, Geophysics, Physical Oceanography or Marine Biology/Ecology/Biogeochemistry. It is not necessary to have experience with biogeochemistry beforehand, but an interest in biogeochemical cycles is expected. However, it is important to have experience with marine sediments and modelling.

A Norwegian doctoral degree or equivalent doctoral degree from a foreign university is required. You are welcome to apply if you have not completed your doctoral dissertation yet, but you must then provide documentation that your dissertation has been submitted for evaluation before the application deadline for the position. An approved public defense of your doctoral thesis is a prerequisite for employment.

Deadline to Apply: June 30, 2025
For more information, please see the job advertisement. 

News & Events

MSc Thesis Defense: Rebecca Rust

Fine Scale Variability of Greenhouse Gases in Polar and Subpolar Ocean Waters: Insights from High Resolution Sampling and Numerical Models

Date & Time: Friday, June 27 at 10:00am

Location: ESB 5104

IOS Seminar: Laboratory Investigation into Oil and Shoreline Interactions Under the Influence of Temperature

Please join IOS on Friday, June 27, 2025, for an in-person and virtual IOS seminar with Senior Emergencies Scientist Dr. Lee Britton from Environment and Climate Change Canada, entitled “A Laboratory Investigation into Oil and Shoreline Sediment Interactions Under the Influence of Temperature”.

Abstract: Despite considerable efforts to prevent marine oil from reaching shorelines, extensive contamination is a persistent outcome of major oil spills, as exemplified by the Exxon Valdez (1989, ~2,000 km) and Deepwater Horizon (2010, ~1,700 km) incidents. In both cases, protracted shoreline response and environmental recovery operations dramatically exceeded the duration of active on-water efforts.

To better inform response and remediation strategies, it is critical to understand how oil interacts with shoreline sediments. This presentation explores the mechanisms influencing oil penetration and retention in coastal sediments through laboratory experiments encompassing 140 unique environmental conditions, each conducted in triplicate. Five uniform coarse-grained inorganic sediment classifications, ranging from coarse sand to medium pebble. Four test oils include three diluted bitumens (fresh, 24-hour weathered, 72-hour weathered) and one very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). Experiments were conducted under seven temperature regimens: four uniform conditions (sediment and seawater at the same temperature) and three non-uniform conditions (sediment and water at different temperatures). By simulating realistic thermal and sedimentological conditions, this study provides valuable insight into oil behaviour within coastal sediments, with direct implications for improved spill modelling, response prioritization, and long-term environmental recovery.

About the Speaker: Dr. Lee Britton has worked in the environmental industry for over a decade in varying capacities. At the beginning of his career, Lee worked on remediation, demolition and abatement projects in British Columbia, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Southeastern United States. Desiring growth, Lee pursued an M.Sc. at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia and a Ph.D. at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland. Lee's research has primarily focused on oil spills and understanding their interactions with shoreline sediment, how to minimize their impacts and how to plan better and prepare for them. As an Emergencies Scientist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, Lee provides scientific support during environmental emergencies and acts as a scientific liaison between multidisciplinary scientists and emergency management teams. Additionally, Lee assists in oil spill-related policy development, has served as an Advisor during several Canadian Scientific Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) processes, co-author scientific literature and collaborate with other departments to advance oil spill initiatives.

Date & Time: 10:00am, Friday June 27th

Location: Central Boardroom in IOS. Alternatively, you can join by Zoom.