GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, one of the leading institutions in marine research, together with the FUTURO (Future of Tropical Upwelling Regions in the Atlantic Ocean) project – centered around a large-scale, one-year field study off West Africa in the tropical Northeast Atlantic – is offering a position for a Scientific Project Manager to support this international research initiative.
This role includes project planning and coordination, financial and organizational oversight, stakeholder communication, and funding acquisition. The eligible criteria include completed university degree (preferably in natural fields), professional experience in the field as well as experience in national or international research funding, and communication skills in German and English. Experience in cooperation with African institutions is a plus.
This full-time position, with a minimum duration of 24 months, offers work-life balance support, engagement in marine and climate research areas, pension plan and beneficial benefits.
FUTURO will study the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) off West Africa – a critical marine region providing 25% of global fisheries from just 1-2% of ocean surface. The project addresses climate change impacts, acidification, and overfishing while developing sustainable practices to support West African coastal communities.
GEOMAR is focused on the global ocean and marine research and is committed to develop sustainable solutions for the protection of the ocean. They promote knowledge and technology transfer through international exchange.
Applications should be sent until 20th April 2025 under this link.
For further information and other jobs opportunities, please visit www.geomar.de.
Networking Friday with Maria Buraimoh (University of Lagos, Nigeria)
On November 20th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we had Maria Buraimoh, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She presented Circular Economy: A Sustainable And Preventive Strategy For The Alleviation Of Atlantic Ocean Pollution. The moderator was Isa Elegbede, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU), Germany. The major challenges confronting the Ocean is pollution emanating majorly from land due to poor waste management (especially plastics/related polymeric material and other organic wastes). Unfortunately, in the developing part of the world where most water bodies are channelled into the Atlantic Ocean, the spread of light and floating plastic polymers travels to shared International environments. Invariably, wastes generated in one continent spread and find their ways to other connected continents via the pollution of the Atlantic Ocean with great consequences on the climate, and lives in the ocean. In her group, They have started to work on preventive approach to Atlantic Ocean and other environmental pollution, which could be achieved through circular economy and sustainable resource recovery especially in the developing country like Nigeria. This could help to maintain clean and safe Atlantic Ocean and environment. In addition, a way of job creation and eradication of poverty. Dr. Olanike Maria Buraimoh is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Microbiology Faculty of Science, University of Lagos. She holds a Ph.D. certificate of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos Nigeria. Her research interest is focused on Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology with special focus on bioremediation of polluted ecosystems and bioconversion of wastes to value-added products as a sustainable solution to climate change.
Networking Friday with Dava Newman (MIT)
On November 13th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we had Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She presented Physics-informed GANs for coastal flood visualization with the collaboration of her students Björn Lütjens, Brandon Leshchinskiy, Christian Requena-Mesa, Farrukh Chishtie, Natalia Díaz-Rodriguez, Océane Boulais, Aaron Piña, Alexander Lavin, Yarin Gal, Chedy Raïssi. The moderator will be Marco Tedesco, Lamont Research Professor , Marine Geology & Geophysics , Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), The Earth Institute, Columbia University. As climate change increases the intensity of natural disasters, society needs better tools for adaptation. As stakeholders ranging from local to national governments cope with increased flood risks due to climate change, visual explanations can aid their decision-making process. And while today’s flood modeling capabilities include both high-level, color-coded maps, as well as intimate, street-level images, decision-makers would benefit from imagery that is both holistic and intuitive. Accordingly, the MIT-Portugal / NASA / AIIA Earth Intelligence Engine team has produced satellite images of future coastal floods: physics-informed, photorealistic images that look like real satellite imagery. The proposed visualizations will enable a variety of stakeholders in climate resilience planning and disaster preparedness to communicate flood risks to decision-makers.
Networking Friday with Zita Martins (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal)
On November 6th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we met Zita Martins, Associate Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). She talked about Astrobiology: Origin and detection of life in the solar system. The moderator was Gaia Stucky de Quay, University of Texas at Austin. Science magazine considered the search for life in the Universe as one of the twenty-five major questions still unanswered in science, and with prominence during the next decade. To answer this question, scientists i) investigate how life on Earth came about, and ii) develop space missions to search for extra-terrestrial life. In case i) they analyse meteorites in the laboratory and make in-situ analyses of comets and asteroids. This is because it is known that the Earth received tons of organic molecules, that were delivered by these celestial bodies, from the formation of the solar system up until 3.8 billion years ago. Their analysis gives fundamental clues about the primitive Earth and how life on our planet could have potentially appeared. In case ii) it is necessary to first determine places in the solar system that have the conditions for life to arise and develop. Among them we find the planet Mars, and the icy moons Europa and Enceladus. Zita’s presentation discussed the origin of life in the solar system, and the various space missions in search of extra-terrestrial life.