The ecological significance of sediment geochemistry and particle-size in freshwater ecosystems

The deadline for 2012 Doctoral College Studentships has now passed.

The Brighton Doctoral College is pleased to welcome applications from self-funded or externally sponsored students for programmes of research in this or a closely related area, beginning from September 2012. Applications are welcome from students wishing to study full time or part time, and applications are welcome from students in employment who have the support of their employers.

• Based in the Faculty of Science and Engineering
• Supervisors: Dr Martin Smith; Dr Gary Bilotta.

Application deadline

The university cannot guarantee that students can start at their requested date unless deadlines are met.

• UK/EU students: The deadline for the university to receive applications for an entry date of October is the 1 August, for January entry it is the 1 November and for May it is the 1 March.
• International students: The deadline for the university to receive applications for an entry date of October is the 1 June, for January entry it is the 1 September and for May it is the 1 January.

Apply now.

Managing global water resources is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century.

Water is a resource that is under growing pressure as the global population rises, and the natural supply, in the form of precipitation, is becoming increasingly variable and uncertain with climate change. It is therefore essential that water resources are managed sustainably in terms of both their quantity and quality. One of the most commonly attributed causes for the impairment of water quality globally is the presence of sediments, ranging from nano-scale particles and colloids to sand-sized sediments. Sediments can have a range of detrimental effects on water resources, from aesthetic issues and higher costs of water treatment, to a decline in the fisheries resource and serious ecological degradation. Ultimately this can lead to a significant decline in the associated freshwater ecosystem services, estimated to have a global value in excess of $1.7 trillion per annum. However at present, there is a poor understanding of the chemical and physical impacts, and the suspended sediment levels that water quality managers should aim to achieve in order to support good ecological status in different environments. 

The aim of this studentship is to address this lack of understanding by studying and modelling the characteristics of sediments (total suspend solids, geochemistry and particle-size), in contrasting freshwater ecosystems that are in reference condition (i.e. high-ecological status), and those that are impacted by varying degrees of sediment-related problems. The student will conduct high-resolution monitoring and sampling of sediment concentrations and characteristics, over a period of 24 months, in a range of contrasting river-typologies in high to poor ecological status. Students will be part of the University of Brighton’s Aquatic Research Centre, and will benefit from access to a range of environmental monitoring equipment and state of the art particulate and water analytical facilities. These include a fully equipped water chemistry laboratory (AA, ICP-OES, ion chromatography, TOC/IC analysis, laser particle size analysis), solid state analytical capability (including XRD, XRF, Raman spectroscopy), and the University’s micro-analytical and imaging laboratory (SEM-EDS, AFM). The student will be trained in a range of analytical skills.

Find out more about research at the University of Brighton.