3.5 Years, Fixed-Term, Whole-Time Post 

 

The Earth and Ocean Lab at the Department of Geography, University College Cork wishes to appoint a Post-Doctoral Researcher to undertake the I-POINT project. Shipwrecks are anthropogenically derived seafloor features with important cultural heritage that may form biodiversity ‘hotspots’ in otherwise barren parts of the seabed. In recent times, their presence has typically been considered a hazard to trade and navigation (shipping routes), energy (renewable energy development) and marine resources (trawling). However, a relatively lesser studied hazard is the pollution potential of shipwrecks given their composition, cargo and long-term exposure to the marine environment that can up-concentrate shipwreck-derived pollutants akin to placer deposits. The I-POINT project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research project that: i) identifies, maps and ranks the distribution of polluting shipwrecks around Ireland, and ii) quantifies the impacts of the most intensely polluting shipwrecks. To do this, we propose a data-driven assessment of online archives, historical records, peer-reviewed literature using a Python-based automatic web-scraping method (or suitable alternative). Key wrecks from this assessment will be analysed and surveyed (multibeam, magnetometry, side scan sonar, sediment sampling and ROV-based photogrammetry). The resulting survey data will be processed and used in hydrodynamic modelling using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. This assessment will determine the controls on pollution, the distribution of pollutants and their variance under changing marine environmental conditions. On a broader scale, the real impact of this research will be the creation of a legacy report aimed at informing policy makers and other stakeholders at how to best manage and remedy shipwreck-based pollution on the short (5 years) and long term (50 years). The project is funded through the Marine Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship. The appointed candidate will take a lead role on this project from all aspects of the research through to project logistics and administration. Post-Doctoral researchers within the Earth and Ocean lab typically gain experience in student supervision, grant writing and teaching as part of their career development.

 

The candidate should have a PhD in a closely related discipline or subject area (essential). They should be able to demonstrate experience with managing a research project. They should have experience and knowledge in at least one of the following: seafloor mapping and imaging (ROV-derived photogrammetry; multibeam sonar or side scan sonar); Python programming; sedimentology and sediment analysis (geochemical and particle size); marine CFD modelling; Irish shipwrecks (heritage and policy). The appointee will work directly with PI’s at University College Cork and University College Dublin, and will be expected to engage with a range of external stakeholder organisations.

 

Project Title: Instability and Pollution Potential Mapping of Irish Shipwreck Sites for a National Risk Assessment Database (I-PoINt) 

 

Post Duration: 3.5 Years

 

Salary: €44,847 - €51,313 p.a. IUA PD1 Scale   

 

For an information package including further details of the post see https://ore.ucc.ie/

 

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Dr Aaron Lim, Lecturer in Physical Geography, Department of Geography Tel: + 353 (0) 21 4903842; Email: aaron.lim@ucc.ie 

 

Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to recruitment@ucc.ie, quoting the job-title and project name.

 
 

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday 31st January 2025