The position is part of the CDRmare research mission within the sea4soCiety blue carbon consortium. The aim of this one year position is to expand the existing model UVic ESM to assess the potential of the free floating sargassum for Carbon Dioxide Removal. Using literature values and measured carbon and nutrient uptake and remineralization rates of Sargassum under different environmental conditions, you will modify the parameterization of an existing marine biogeochemical model that includes large-scale offshore macroalgae mariculture (Wu et al., 2023) and is embedded in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity, UVic (Mengis et al., 2020; Keller et al., 2012). You will conduct historical, present-day, and future climate change scenario simulations(high and low climate change), where Sargassum sinking is artificially enhanced before reaching the Caribbean coast, to estimate the carbon uptake of floating Sargassum. You will investigate the fate of sunken biomass by varying the rates at which it is remineralized, (i.e., a sensitivity analysis to evaluate uncertainties that result from limited information on Sargassum remineralization rates). Overall, these simulations will provide a first indication for the feasibility and effectiveness of enhanced sinking of Sargassum for marine CDR.
Please see https://jobs.awi.de/Vacancies/1322/Description/2 or contact Dr. Mar Fernández-Méndez (mar.fernandez-mendez@awi.de; +49(471)4831-1895) for further information.
This is a full-time position, limited to 1 year. It is also suitable for part-time employment.