MBARI’s mission is to advance marine science and engineering to understand our changing
ocean. Our work focuses on diverse areas of marine and engineering research—from atoms to
ecosystems. MBARI is dedicated to the development of innovative instrumentation, systems,
and methods supporting scientific research in the oceans. Teams of scientists and engineers are
collaborating to build innovative tools to transform what we know about ocean processes and
ocean health. Ongoing programs at MBARI span marine robotics, ocean physics, chemistry,
geology, biology, and engineering.

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work with Monique Messié at MBARI in collaboration with Adrian Marchetti and Harvey Seim (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Diego Figueroa (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to a project funded by the National Science Foundation that investigates the influence of nutrient supply by different physical processes (upwelling, island mass effect, internal tides) on functional biodiversity of marine plankton in the Galápagos Archipelago. The postdoc will utilize data collected as part of an upcoming cruise and by a wirewalker profiler system. The goal is to parameterize a simple plankton model forced by time series of nutrient delivery representative of the three physical modes at play, and use it to test if bottom-up control can explain observed phytoplankton biodiversity and temporal variability.

This postdoctoral project involves both data analysis (i.e., use wirewalker data and other data sources to develop time series of nutrient injection characteristic of each physical process) and simple modeling (1-dimension NPZ-type model). The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in physical-biological interactions, phytoplankton ecology, data analysis, and testing hypotheses using simple models. The project will be in close collaboration with the team at the University of North Carolina, and will involve travel to Chapel Hill, NC and to the Galápagos Archipelago.

Duration: 2 years
Start date: Flexible, ideally summer/fall 2025. A summer start date may allow participation on a 3-week scientific cruise in the Galápagos Archipelago.

Required qualifications:
• PhD must be awarded by start date
• Strong problem-solving skills and scientific integrity
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of collaborative teams
• Excellent programming skills in Matlab or Python
• Curiosity about how physics drive plankton biogeochemistry and ecology in the ocean
• Excellent communication skills as demonstrated by prior publications and presentations

Desirable skills and experience:
• Previous experience with NPZ-type models
• Good understanding of physical processes such as upwelling, island mass effect, and/or internal tides
• Previous experience working with large ocean data sets including in situ observations, satellite data, and/or oceanographic model output

This postdoc fellow will be mentored by Monique Messié, PhD. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact her with questions or for additional information about the position (monique@mbari.org).