Research Assistant Department of Estuarine and Delta System

The Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS) is part of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). We are located on the Oosterschelde in Yerseke, and from this beautiful location, a diverse and international group of approximately 70 colleagues, including researchers and support staff, conduct research into the interactions between organisms and the dynamic environment of estuaries and deltas.

The research motto of the EDS department is: "the responsible protection, restoration and use of our estuaries and deltas starts with understanding". We are seeking a Research Assistant to help support our research, including our activities in the field and laboratory.

The Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) aims to understanding how the interplay between organisms, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and chemistry, shapes estuarine and delta systems, and to understanding natural and human‑induced environmental changes. An important focus of our research is how these abiotic‑biotic interactions create value for society, for example, investigating sustainable sources of marine biomass for food, the impacts of following the “Building with Nature” paradigm, to understanding how achieve a healthy biodiverse environment.

We do frontier applied science, meaning that we link fundamental understanding to societal usage. In doing so, we aim to actively support managers with the insights needed for ecosystem conservation and restoration, and enhancing ecosystem services (e.g. carbon sequestration, maintaining biodiversity, creating nature‑based flood defence, exploring alternative sources of food), all in the face of global change and accelerating sea level rise.

Human interventions have had a major impact on nature in estuaries and deltas. These areas provide important habitats for many species, while also supporting a multitude of social and economic activities. We strive to understand these habitats and the species within them, and to appreciate how measures to restore nature and ecosystem functions in these environments may work. Our research combines fieldwork and laboratory experiments.

Fieldwork involves a wide range of techniques, from collecting sediment and biological samples on tidal flats, to taking measurements with advanced instruments and operating drones. Many field samples are later analysed in detail in our laboratories in Yerseke. Laboratory work can includes working with live species, running experiments from small‑scale controlled studies, to larger experiments in flumes or tidal tanks, that replicate natural conditions, and allow us to study ecological processes.

To support our field and laboratory research, we are looking for a dynamic and motivated individual, who can work as part of our experienced team, as well as at times under their own initiative. The role will often require problem‑solving, creativity, and the application of practical skills.

• You are a practical go‑getter, with an enthusiasm to support a range of research activities, including the demands that come with working in the field and laboratory experiments.
• Fieldwork can be physically challenging and requires a good level of fitness. Reaching sampling locations often involves walking across marshes and tidal flats, or traveling by boat. You should also be willing to occasionally support work on our research cruises. Despite the demands, much of the work takes place in beautiful natural locations.
• You enjoy learning and mastering new techniques, both in the field and the laboratory. You will be technically competent, and happy to develop your skills using a range of scientific equipment, measuring devices, and associated software. Some of the equipment commonly used by our small team of experienced research assistants includes: flying (LIDAR) drones, using automated measuring instruments like ADCP, OBS, FRRF, and plankton imaging systems, as well as laboratory flumes.
• Experience of identifying and handling (in experimental settings) key benthic and plant species found in estuarine systems would be an advantage, but a willingness to learn these…