Missions

The objective of this postdoctoral position is to provide a global carbon flux product based on measurements of particle size and concentration from an in-situ quantitative imagery instrument, the Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP), and to analyse its spatial and temporal variability. This will be done by combining different data sources and machine learning (ML). Data used for this ML approach include
- a global database of carbon flux measurements, gathering data from (1) drifting and moored sediment traps, using literature reviews and available data in different repositories (e.g., Pangeae, SeaNoe, etc.); (2) Thorium/Uranium deficit measurements, assembled and converted into carbon fluxes; (3) all other available carbon flux measurements obtainable through database queries and literature reviews.
- a UVP (Underwater Vision Profiler) database including Particle size distribution (PSD) and concentrations from ship-based rosette deployments, BGC-Argo profiles, gliders, moorings, and other platforms,
- A set of environmental data associated with surface (0-200m) PSDs and concentrations

Activités

- Assemble datasets in a format ready for analysis.
- Define one (or several) precise research questions and perform data analysis to explore them.
- Write scientific papers and give scientific presentations in international meetings.
- Participate in project meetings and team and lab meetings in Villefranche.

Compétences

Transversal knowledge required :
- PhD in oceanography or marine biology
- Knowledge in plankton ecology (and basic taxonomy), with a specific focus on phytoplankton

Technical skills :
- Ability to handle large datasets (hundred thousands to millions of rows) using a programming language (e.g. R, Python, MATLAB)
- Good knowledge of descriptive multivariate data analyses (Principal Components Analysis, Factorial Analysis)
- Knowledge of some regression analyses (generalised linear models, machine learning-based regression, redundancy analysis, etc.)
- Ideally, working knowledge or acquaintance with digital image processing

People skills :
- Taste for team work as part of a large international project
- Good communication skills

Contexte de travail

The Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV ; http://lov.obs-vlfr.fr/) is located close to Nice, on the French Riviera. It belongs to one of the three marine stations of Sorbonne Université. With about 120 permanent staff, the LOV generates and analyses a large quantity of marine data, including imaging, genomic, and satellite data to study the ocean.

The COMPLEx (COMPutational PLAnkton Ecology) team gathers about fifty members studying marine plankton by collecting data with quantitative imaging instruments and high throughput genomics that informs advanced numerical analysis methods (modeling, statistics, machine learning). Plankton encompasses all organisms roaming with marine currents. Those organisms are responsible for producing some of the oxygen we breathe, storing the carbon we emit, feeding the fish we eat; plankton is therefore a major building block of Earth's ecosystem. COMPLEx strongly interacts with the Quantitative Imaging Platform of Villefranche (PIQv; https://sites.google.com/view/piqv), which oversees the operation of the tools that the team develops. Those tools include imaging sensors, such as the Underwater Vision Profiler or the ZooScan, as well as an increase number of software packages to process and control the quality of the data generated by the instruments, sort images taxonomically (https://ecotaxa.obs-vlfr.fr/) or store and distribute data on the abundance of marine snow particles. The team has a long experience of interactions with engineers and computer scientists, in academia and the private sector, to develop these tools.

The person hired for this position will work within the context of European project DTO-Bioflow (https://dto-bioflow.eu/), which the core missions to unlock those “sleeping” biodiversity data enabling the sustained flow of these and new data via primary integrators and EMODnet into the EU Digital Twin Ocean. It will create a digital replica of marine biological processes transforming new and existing data flows into evidence-based knowledge. In particular, this work will be carried out as part of the WP4 "Demonstrate with policy-relevant use cases the benefit of an end-to-end approach for biodiversity monitoring."

Le poste se situe dans un secteur relevant de la protection du potentiel scientifique et technique (PPST), et nécessite donc, conformément à la réglementation, que votre arrivée soit autorisée par l'autorité compétente du MESR.

Contraintes et risques

None

Informations complémentaires

Paid vacation up to 55 days per year.
The laboratory is located in Villefranche-sur-mer and has direct access to the sea.