Postdoc position in simulation and data analysis of marine plastic pollution (1.0 FTE)

Plastic in the ocean is a major problem, but our understanding of the distribution, pathways and fate of the plastic litter is very limited. The project 'Tracking Of Plastics In Our Seas (TOPIOS)', funded by the European Research Council, will create a novel comprehensive modelling framework that simulates plastic movement through the ocean, and uses that framework to significantly improve the understanding of the plastic pollution in our oceans. We are now seeking a postdoc to work in this team.

The successful candidate will investigate the sources, pathways and fate of marine plastic pollution by performing model simulations of virtual plastic particles in the flow from Ocean General Circulation Models (OGCMs). They will analyse the output of these simulations and relate the results to dynamics of ocean circulation and properties of the plastic particles. They will confirm the skill of the simulations by comparing the output to observations of plastic distribution in the marine environment, through development and/or application of advanced statistical methods for data-model-comparison of plastic pollution.

The successful candidate will work with the TOPIOS team and is expected to (co-)supervise BSc, MSc and/or PhD students with their thesis projects.