About the role
You will be joining a dynamic and diverse research team investigating phytoplankton biodiversity and ecological dynamics from the coast to the deep open ocean. You will contribute to a range of funded projects including the global Bio-GO-SHIP biodiversity monitoring program, investigations of (sub)mesoscale physical-biological interactions (DANCE), and the development of local-scale ecological monitoring for mCDR.
You will undertake research on automated phytoplankton imaging and cytometry, quantification and identification. This role will involve preparing and going to sea to deploy a range of plankton imaging systems, such as the Imaging Flow CytoBot (IFCB) and PlanktoScope, as well as lab-based analyses using FlowCam, flow cytometers and other relevant systems. You will develop and maintain workflows for data quality control, image processing and analysis, and annotation libraries.
You will be a key member of a team working on a wide range of projects in close collaboration with physical oceanographers, biogeochemists, molecular ecologists, engineers and data scientists.
About you
You are passionate about phytoplankton ecology and excited to join a multidisciplinary team tackling questions about the physical, chemical and biological controls on phytoplankton biodiversity and activity in the ocean. You have a good understanding of ocean circulation processes and physical-biological coupling.
You have deep experience using phytoplankton imaging instruments, such as the IFCB, managing plankton image datasets, and generating taxonomic and trait information from plankton image data. You have at least a basic knowledge of phytoplankton taxonomy and experience in taxonomic identification either by microscopy or imaging.
You are able to combine ecological and biogeochemical datasets with oceanographic data (e.g. underway systems, CTD, satellite products). You are well-versed in data analysis using tools like R or Python and have a good understanding of multivariate statistics and machine learning.
You are comfortable with planning and participating in oceanographic cruises and can communicate effectively with project partners and collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds. You are independent, creative and collaborative.
Salary range: £43, 703 – £47, 941
Application deadline: March 24, 2026
