Graduate Research Assistantship in Stream Ecology

Nutrients, detritus and organisms cross habitat boundaries and contribute to food webs as allochthonous subsidies. This project explores a potential autochthonous (within habitat) subsidy of benthic algal production in the crevice refuges of streambed stones. This protected algal production may affect stream ecosystems by adding food for grazers, thereby increasing grazer production, and contributing colonists that may speed algal recovery after flood disturbances. I have an opening for one graduate student, who will work in a team to help quantify the amount of crevice-protected algae in Western US streams, and conduct a variety field and greenhouse experiments on algal subsidies to food webs and flood recovery. Summer research involves extensive travel, including out-of-state travel, which is supported by the funding from NSF. Students in my lab participate in a biology outreach program for elementary students. In addition to a competitive salary and a tuition waiver, funding is available for travel to conferences and to cover the costs of the summer diatom course at the Iowa Lakeside lab.

Qualifications: M.S. degree or B.S. degree with previous experience in algal identification. Field experience preferred. Graduate student application information and information about the Department of Zoology at the University of Oklahoma is found at http://www.ou.edu/cas/zoology/.
For further details, please contact:
Liz Bergey, Assistant Professor
Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Zoology
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma 73019
Phone: 405-325-7071
e-mail: lbergey@ou.edu