Research internship biodiversity Dogger Bank

Functieomschrijving

Rijkswaterstaat, the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, is looking for an enthusiastic intern to analyse soil samples from the International Dogger Bank Survey 2016. You will work at the Rijkswaterstaat hydrobiological lab in Lelystad. The goal is to map which zoobenthos reside in Dogger Bank, a Natura 2000 Protection Area, and to complement the reference collection of Rijkswaterstaat and our contractors.

Natura 2000 comprises a network of protected areas on land and sea designated under the European Birds and Habitats Directives. The Dogger Bank, a relatively flat sea area in the central North Sea, is a transboundary Natura 2000 habitat shared by the Netherlands, UK, and Germany with three adjoining national Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

One of the challenges for the Dogger Bank MPA management process was the need to address the Dogger Bank as an entity. The Netherlands, UK and Germany therefore established a Dogger Bank Steering Group to coordinate management in order to arrive at a coherent and harmonised fishing management regime.

The research cruise of the Walther Herwig III was the first international cruise for Natura 2000, monitoring to evaluate the state of the Dogger Bank fish community as part of the MPA conservation objectives. Therefore also the invertebrate bottom fauna was investigated. Rijkswaterstaat prepared a species inventory based on subsamples collected during the cruise. Scientists from Rijkswaterstaat, the Joint Nature Conservation Council, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries took part in the 12-day survey.

We are now looking for a student to help analyse the zoobenthos samples, for a minimum period of four months. In the lab you will sort the samples and arrange organisms by name. Together we will determine what type group(s) you will be working on. The content of your research report or article is also determined in consultation. Students are required to spend two-thirds of their time in the lab. 

Functie-eisen

• You can work independently and are proactive.
• You are analytical.
• You have a positive attitude.
• You preferably have some experience determining.