1) Cetacean Adiposity This project will investigate cetacean body condition, bioenergetics, and the role that energy reserves play in the toxicological risk posed by lipophilic chemical burdens. The project will, in part, contribute to the SOPOPP Humpback Whale Sentinel Program which seeks to capture and interpret change within the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. The right candidate for this project will have a passion for, and demonstrate a strong background in at least one of the following areas; organic chemistry, mammalian physiology or biological modelling.
2) Humpback Whale Ecotoxicology Over the past 11 years, SOPOPP have established a comprehensive timeline of POP exposure in the east coast of Australia migrating breeding stock of humpback whales. In addition, it has developed a number of tools for chemical effect assessment, including a toxicokinetic model and the world's first humpback whale cell line. This Project will utilise these tools, and implement new in-vitro methods, to produce much needed cetacean toxicological effect assessment data for the evaluation of toxicological risk in these species. The right candidate for this project will have a passion for, and a strong background in biochemistry.
3) Biogeochemical Cycling of POPs in a Changing Antarctic Environment Polar Regions are environmental ?sinks? for man-made POPs. The unique biogeochemical processes governing POP behaviour in the Polar landscape are not well understood yet are necessary to predict their impact in Polar ecosystems. This project will investigate past and present accumulation of POPs in Antarctic ice, seawater, air and Antarctic krill, and explore chemical distribution and fate in a warming climate. The project will be linked to the Scientific Community for Antarctic Research (SCAR) ImPACT (Input Pathways of Persistent organic pollutants to AntarCTica) Action Group. The right candidate for this project will have a keen interest in Polar science and a strong background in organic chemistry.
The successful applicants will need to secure an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship /Griffith University Postgraduate Scholarship. Scholarship applications close Monday 29th April, 2019 for a late
2019 start. Scholarships are merit based and applicants will need to demonstrate that they hold a 1st class honours or equivalent, or have been leading author on at least one peer-reviewed journal article.
Application Details:
Interested applicants should send an expression of interest to Associate Professor Susan Bengtson Nash (s.bengtsonnash@griffith.edu.au
Associate Professor Susan Bengtson Nash
Program Director
Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program (SOPOPP)
SCAR: Chair of ImPACT | ARC: College of Experts | Editor: Scientific Reports
Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), Griffith University, Nathan Campus.
170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
Email: s.bengtsonnash@griffith.edu.au | Phone: +61 (0)7 3735 5062 | Mobile: +61 (0)437 888 711
Twitter: @Antarctica_POPs | Skype: s.bengtsonnash | Website: http://www.griffith.edu.au/environment-planning-architecture/southern-ocean-persistent-organic-pollutants-program
