Postdoctoral Researcher – Models of Lake Baikal Plankton
We seek a postdoctoral research associate to develop novel models of plankton communities in Lake Baikal, Siberia to predict food web responses to global change within the new multi-institutional NSF project Dimensions of Biodiversity: Lake Baikal responses to global change: the role of genetic, taxonomic and functional diversity in the plankton.  Lake Baikal is the oldest, largest by volume and most diverse lake on Earth and is undergoing rapid warming.  The models will explicitly include measured genetic and functional variation to explore whether endemic plankton forming the backbone of the present food web will be able to adapt to and persist in the changing climate or will be replaced by cosmopolitan species, with significant consequences for the entire ecosystem.
The postdoc will be based at the Kellogg Biological Station of Michigan State University working under the supervision of Chris Klausmeier and Elena Litchman, and collaborating with faculty and students at University of California Santa Barbara, Wellesley College, University of Texas, and East Tennessee State University.  There will be opportunities to travel to Lake Baikal.

The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in ecology or a related discipline, a strong background in modeling, aquatic ecology, and a record of peer-reviewed publication.  Lab or field experience with plankton would be a plus.
Start date is negotiable, ideally April 2012.  Please feel free to ask questions about your fit to the position before applying (klausme1@msu.edu or litchman@msu.edu). To apply, attach your CV to an email that describes your interest in the position and gives the names and contact information for three references; send this email to klausme1@msu.edu with the subject line: Baikal postdoc application.

For a project abstract, see: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1136710

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