PhD Research Fellow in Diversity and Ecology of Marine Algae and Protistan Parasites

About this job

About the position We invite applications for a four-year PhD Research Fellow position in the Diversity and Ecology of Marine Algae and Protistan Parasites. The position will be based at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, and affiliated with the national research programme Arctic Ocean 2050 (Polhavet 2050). The successful candidate will also benefit from affiliation with the national graduate research school BIOCORE. The PhD project will investigate how climate-driven warming is reshaping Arctic microbial eukaryote communities, with a focus on the northward expansion of toxic microalgae and protistan parasites. The successful candidate will join an international research environment and contribute to a better understanding of biodiversity change in the Arctic Ocean. The position includes 25% career-enhancing work, supporting both the museum’s activities and the candidate’s professional development. Depending on the candidate’s interests and the museum’s needs, this work may include collection curation, teaching, supervision, research support, work in the Botanical Garden, or public outreach. The selected candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Within two months of commencing the position, the candidate must submit a PhD agreement, including a plan for the required doctoral courses and a project description. More about the position / The PhD project The Arctic Ocean is expected to undergo a high rate of species turnover as climate-driven changes in habitats, including declining sea-ice cover and rising seawater temperatures, enable new species to expand northward while others decline or disappear locally. These shifts are likely to substantially reorganize Arctic food webs, with cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. This PhD project will investigate how climate-driven warming is reshaping Arctic microbial eukaryote communities, with a focus on the northward expansion of toxic microalgae and protistan parasites, and includes the option to take part in research cruises. The project will use long-read metabarcoding to develop a pan-Arctic, DNA-based biodiversity database with high taxonomic resolution, use existing data and literature to distinguish generalist from specialist taxa, and identify potential entry routes and distribution patterns of the microalgae and parasites as Arctic waters warm. The project will also detect known and novel biological associations, as well as abundance changes in toxic microalgae and protistan parasites. Key findings will be validated against microscopy data collected during research cruises. The position includes translating results into outreach for stakeholders and contributing to predictive policy recommendations. The project therefore offers an exciting opportunity to combine field-derived Arctic samples, advanced molecular and imaging tools, and ecological theory to address emerging questions at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. The position is affiliated with the national research programme Arctic Ocean 2050. The programme brings together 18 Norwegian research institutions in a major interdisciplinary collaboration aimed at strengthening Norway’s knowledge base and strategic capacity in a rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Its goals are to improve our understanding of the present-day Arctic Ocean and how it may change towards 2050, and develop the knowledge needed for future management, sustainable use, and a safe and secure region. The ten-year programme (2026–2035) combines basic research, applied science, and innovation – offering unique opportunities for professional development and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Arctic Ocean 2050 focuses on processes within the central Arctic Ocean, its interactions with the surrounding seas, and how these dynamics connect to broader climatic and political systems. Field activities will primarily take place in the Eurasian Basin, between Fram Strait and the North Pole, as well as including the adjacent continental slopes. Pan-Arctic perspectives will be ensured through remote sensing, research on broader sociopolitical drivers, and modelling tools that cover the entire Arctic Ocean, and extensive international research collaboration. As part of Arctic Ocean 2050, the candidate will join an ambitious research environment with high societal relevance and the opportunity to contribute to new knowledge on some of the world’s most remote and important ocean regions. This position is also affiliated with the national graduate research school BIOCORE. Led by Norway’s four university natural history museums, BIOCORE aims to train the next generation of researchers in biodiversity science to address environmental challenges. BIOCORE provides specialised courses and workshops, research and training mobility, regular seminars and networking events, and opportunities to collaborate with non‑academic and policy partner

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