Dissolved trace metal sources and fluxes along the East Antarctic margin

About the research project

The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in global climate regulation and marine biogeochemical cycling. Primary productivity across much of the region is limited by iron, while zinc and other bioactive trace metals influence phytoplankton physiology, ecosystem structure and carbon export. East Antarctic shelf waters receive trace metals from several potential sources, including seafloor sediments, glacial meltwater and glacially derived particles, modified deep waters and biological remineralisation. However, the relative importance of these sources varies among shelf environments and cannot be determined reliably from dissolved-metal concentrations alone because mixing, biological uptake, remineralisation and scavenging can produce similar concentration patterns.

This PhD will use recently collected, co-located water column trace metal and sediment-porewater samples from stations from multiple locations across the East Antarctic margin. The sampling network spans open-ocean, slope, outer-shelf, polynya, shallow-bank and glacier-proximal environments. Where useful, archived DNA samples from the water column and sediments may be analysed to provide supporting evidence for microbial processes that alter Fe and Zn speciation or isotope composition. It therefore provides a natural experiment for testing how the balance between benthic and glaciogenic metal supply changes across distinct East Antarctic settings.

This PhD will involve research activities at the Australian National University in Canberra to access the analytical capabilities not available at UTAS, specifically the multicollector ICP-MS for isotope analyses.

Primary supervisor

Meet Associate Professor Taryn Noble

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

· A relevant Honours or Masters degree, or equivalent research experience, in chemical oceanography, marine biogeochemistry, environmental chemistry, geochemistry or a closely related discipline.

· Demonstrated experience with trace-metal-clean laboratory practice and interpreting dissolved-metal concentration or isotope datasets.

· Capacity to undertake precise laboratory work with rigorous contamination control, blanks, standards and quality-assurance procedures.

· Strong quantitative, critical-thinking and scientific communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across chemistry, oceanography and microbial ecology.

· A demonstrated interest in Southern Ocean trace-metal cycling and sediment-water exchange.

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

· Prior research on dissolved Fe or Zn, metal isotope geochemistry, Antarctic shelf biogeochemistry or related source-tracing approaches.

· Experience with porewater profiles, benthic-flux calculations, ICP-MS/MC-ICP-MS, molecular methods or bioinformatics.

· Proficiency in R, Python or comparable software for multivariate statistics, spatial analysis and integrated biogeochemical datasets.

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Associate Professor Taryn Noble to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

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