Aquatic Ecology PhD opportunities at UTS
The Freshwater and Estuarine Research Group at the University of Technology Sydney is currently recruiting PhD/Masters students to work on a number of aquatic ecology projects.
Determining how environmental flows and influence river food webs: Environmental flows are essential for sustaining river food webs. Flows support habitat connectivity, transport nutrients and carbon, and enabling energy to move through the ecosystem from primary production to higher trophic levels. In this project you will conduct regular field work sampling water quality and invertebrates in rivers, perform lab work and modelling to develop flow ecology relationships and make recommendations on environmental flows to improve ecosystem health. Primary supervisor: James Hitchcock.
Understanding coldwater pollution and its impacts on ecosystems: Coldwater pollution occurs in rivers with large dams that release cold bottom waters to the downstream environment. It has the potential to impact ecosystems and food webs via slowing growth, disrupting reproduction, reducing the survival and altering species interactions. In this project you will conduct field work in dams and rivers to understand temperature dynamics and its impacts on downstream food webs and ecosystems from plankton to fish. Primary supervisor: James Hitchcock.
Using macrophytes to control algal blooms: Cyanobacterial (blue‑green algal) blooms are a widespread problem in freshwater systems that degrade water quality, threaten ecosystem health, and limit safe use for drinking and recreation. A promising nature‑based solution is the use of macrophyte biozones, where carefully selected aquatic plants and controlled flow conditions reduce nutrients, suppress algal growth, and improve overall ecosystem condition. In this project you will conduct field and lab work to determine what plant species are best at controlling algal blooms and the best approaches for using them in reservoirs and lakes. Primary supervisor: Simon Mitrovic.
Understanding the causes of algal blooms and microbial contamination in rivers: Cyanobacterial blooms and microbial contamination are a major threat to water quality and ecosystem health. This project will investigate the key drivers of blooms and sources of microbial contamination in rivers. Using a mixture of lab and field work you will investigate the role of catchment processes, flow conditions, and nutrient dynamics as key drivers of these problems. The outcomes will provide recommendations on how to improve river health. Primary supervisor: Simon Mitrovic
The specifics of each project will be developed based on the candidate’s interest and experience, and project needs.
Selection Criteria
PhD/Masters: A Bsc (Honours) or equivalent in environmental science, ecology or closely related field. Candidates without honours but experience in ecology will be considered for Masters.
Experience conducting field work, working in teams, statistical analysis and working with large data sets, and familiarity with concepts in aquatic ecology
Driver’s license is essential
NB: Only domestic students (either permanent Australian residents or New Zealand citizens) can apply.
Funding: Stipend $39,000-$50,000 per year for 3.5 years.
To apply: The application process is currently open. We highly encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible as positions will be filled when suitable candidates are found. A final deadline for applying is 7th September. Applicants should send their CV, an example of academic writing (e.g. honours thesis, paper, undergraduate report), and a short cover letter (one page max) outlining their interest and experience to Dr James Hitchcock (james.hitchcock@uts.edu.au) and Professor Simon Mitrovic (simon.mitrovic@uts.edu.au).
Those interested in honours research can also enquire. $5,000 honours stipends are available.