Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometry as an Early Warning System for Algal Blooms in Rivers
Postgraduate research
Funding
Self-funded PhD students only
Project code
SEES4441018
Faculty
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Start dates
February and October
Closing date
Applications accepted all year round
This is a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD studentship, to commence in February or October 2020. The project is supervised by Dr. Michelle Hale, Prof Jim Smith and Dr. Mike Bowes
UK water companies regularly suffer problems with blooms caused by algae and cyanobacteria. Algal blooms can contaminate water supplies with toxins, cause taste and odour problems, and impact on the effectiveness of the equipment used for water treatment.
It's estimated that eutrophication costs the UK more than £114 million per year, and the problem of excessive algal growth is predicted to get worse under future climate change scenarios.
You'll investigate the novel application of Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometry (Frrf) to measure quantum yield (Fv/Fm), an indicator of algal 'health', to better understand and predict algal blooms.
The water industry is particularly interested in the potential of FRRf, together with easily-measurable environmental variables such as light, temperature, flow and nutrients, to provide an early warning system for bloom development.
The work will include:
- working closely with CEH, you'll monitor sites on the River Thames, which often suffer from eutrophication problems, leading to problem causing algal blooms
- high-frequency (hourly) monitoring of nutrient concentrations, temperature, dissolved oxygen, light and flow, alongside sub-daily biological data from flow cytometry and FRRf (blue and red PhytoFlash), to produce a truly unique dataset that will allow us to better understand the timing, duration and magnitude of blooms in rivers
- analysing data from a pilot study of Frrf on the River Thames, using time series analysis, determining whether changes in Fv/Fm can provide an early warning system for algal blooms
Initial results suggest that FRRf can provide powerful new insights into phytoplankton dynamics in rivers and allow water companies to rapidly intervene to prevent bloom formation.
Funding
Self-funded PhD students only
Funding Availability: Self-funded PhD students only
PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the Government Doctoral Loan.
2019/2020 entry
Home/EU/CI full-time students: £4,327 p/a*
Home/EU/CI part-time students: £2,164 p/a*
International full-time students: £15,900 p/a*
International part-time students: £7,950 p/a*
By Publication Fees 2019/2020
Members of staff: £1,610 p/a*
External candidates: £4,327 p/a*
*All fees are subject to annual increase
2020/2021 entry
Home/EU/CI full-time students: £4,327 p/a**
Home/EU/CI part-time students: £2,164 p/a**
International full-time students: £16,400 p/a*
International part-time students: £8,200 p/a*
By Publication Fees 2020/2021
Members of staff: £1,680 p/a**
External candidates: £4,327 p/a*
*All fees are subject to annual increase
**This is the 2019/20 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) maximum studentship fee; this fee will increase to the 2020/21 UKRI maximum studentship fee when UKRI announces this rate in Spring 2020.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
- A good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject or a master’s degree in an appropriate subject.
- Exceptionally, equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered. All applicants are subject to interview.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
Make an enquiry
For administrative and admissions enquiries please contact tech-enquiries@port.ac.uk
How to Apply
To start your application, or enquire further about the process involved, please contact Dr. Michelle Hale (michelle.hale@port.ac.uk) and Prof Jim Smith (jim.smith@port.ac.uk) quoting both the project code and the project title.
You can also visit our How to Apply pages to get a better understanding of how the PhD application process works.
