M.S. Graduate Student Research Assistantship

Post date: Feb 13, 2014 10:6:8 PM

We are seeking an individual with experience in soil science or estuarine biology to work on a study focused onthe capacity of subaqueous soils and resident infaunal communities to serve as indicators of the environmental benefits and sustainability of oyster aquaculture. Over the last decade we have established a spatial inventory of the substrates that support oyster aquaculture in Rhode Island coastal lagoons (locally called ponds). We have shown that certain substrates (viewed and classified as subaqueous soils) are more productive for oyster aquaculture than other soils. In this study, we ask a range of questions related to shellfish aquaculture, sustainability, and soil and water quality: To what degree will the soils under shellfish aquaculture sites serve as a sink for N and P? How will an increase shellfish density affect the nutrients, porewater chemistry, sulfide distribution, redox potential, and infaunal community structure/composition of the associated soils? Are these effects soil-type dependent? We expect by discovering the answers to these questions we will be able to develop guidelines for the ecological carrying capacity of the coastal ponds for oyster aquaculture and the level of oyster production that would be environmentally sustainable. Responsibilities of the graduate assistant will be: 1) to establish sampling sites under oyster aquaculture in Rhode Island coastal ponds: 2) to sample and analyze these soils for nutrients, sulfides, organic carbon, and redox potential; 3) to categorize the infaunal community structure/composition; and 4) to synthesize the results relative to the goals of ecological sustainability. Please send résumé, college transcripts, and statement of interest to: Dr. Mark Stolt, Department of Natural Resources Science, One Greenhouse Road, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, phone 401-874-2915, fax401-874-4561, mstolt@uri.edu or Dr. Jose A. Amador, 401-874-2902, jamador@uri.edu. URI’s Department of Natural Resources Science conducts research in soil ecology, soils and land use, hydropedology, wetland and watershed science, landscape ecology, GIS, and wildlife and environmental management.