Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Ecoscience programme. The position is available from 01 November 2026 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title:
Long-term changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services in a Danish fjord
Research area and project description:
This PhD study will be part of the four-year project “Drivers of ecosystem collapse in a Danish Fjord – A historic perspective analysed with help of citizens science” studying the causes for a gradual collapse in the benthic fauna community in the Isefjord system. The overall project will apply a holistic perspective on the historic changes that have occurred in the Isefjord ecosystem structure leading losses of biodiversity and declining fish stocks in the fjord.
The project is divided into five work packages aiming at 1) setting up a two-year citizens science-based monitoring program, 2) process studies of the impact of bottom trawling on the bottom fauna and the biogeochemical processes in the sediment, 3) Reconstruction of the historic ecosystem structure, 4) Large-scale population modelling and 5) quantification of ecosystem pressures with focus on physical disturbance of the sediment from bottom trawling.
Within this framework the PhD-study will focus on 1) the physical and biological constraints of dispersal of benthic invertebrate larvae and the subsequent recruitment to the benthic community (WP4) and 2) collect documentation og the historic ecosystem structure and fishery in the fjord (WP3). The PhD-student will also take part in the overall field work logistics and project coordination between the AU- project team and the local citizens in WP2.
Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position must have a relevant master’s degree within the field of marine ecology/conservation (120 ECTS) and preferrable have knowledge about benthic fauna communities and identification of meroplankton.
Practical experience in work with marine conservation and restauration in local communities will also be an advantage. Documentation of the historic changes in the Isefjord ecosystem and related changes in fish stocks and other ecosystem services is a central part of the PhD-project. As this project will partly be based on interviews with local informants and research in local archives, proficiency in Danish will be considered a significant advantage.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Institute for Ecoscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 28 August 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 01 November 2026.
Please note:
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which everyone has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
