[Aqualist] Call for PhD applications

[John Tibby]

Dear Quaternarists,

Scholarship applications<https://scholarships.adelaide.edu.au/Scholarships/postgraduate-research/all-faculties/australian-government-research-training-program> are now open at the University of Adelaide and I’m encouraging applications for a range of projects in late Quaternary Science. The list of sites and potential questions below is relatively general because I’m interested in having conversations with potential students about such projects but gives an idea of the range of possible foci.

The Geography Department at Adelaide has a new endowment, the Eric Fuss Scholarship<https://scholarships.adelaide.edu.au/Scholarships/postgraduate-research/faculty-of-arts/eric-fuss-supplementary-phd-scholarship> which provides the top ranked student in any given year a “top up” of $20,000 per year salary in addition to the regular stipend ($28,854/year).


Possible projects
The history of K’Gari (Fraser Island) lake drying and ecological responses to it
K’Gari hosts a large number of remarkable lakes perched in the island’s sand dunes.  These lakes have experienced “unexpected” drying in the Holocene while a number have also shrunk in response to historical rainfall deficits.   This project seek to explain the climate drivers behind drying events (e.g. through the application of stable isotopes) and, or, the ecological response of the lakes to drying and re-filling though response indicators such as diatoms or photosynthetic pigments.  It is likely that this project will incorporate a modern monitoring component.

Holocene climate histories, and European impact on volcanic district lakes
The volcanic lakes of western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia have provided a wealth of understanding of the climatic and environmental history of the region on a range of timescales.  This project seeks to build on this work using both novel and established palaeolimnological indicators to refine the climate history of the region and to better understand the impact of Europeans on these lakes.

The history of New Zealand lakes.
This project will use diatoms and potentially other indicators (e.g. stable C and N isotopes, environmental DNA, hyperspectral scanning, pollen) to examine the history of lakes in New Zealand. The study lakes will be selected from the Lakes 380 project<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-au.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FD7-pCVARwkfx5rzuGvJ1L%3Fdomain%3Dlakes380.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7Csusie.wood%40cawthron.org.nz%7C4e93979e0a1149d1def208d973fb4251%7C0ed55d7825dd4776947a20158de7657d%7C0%7C0%7C637668345263351421%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=rjiGGrlpvcZVz9xuIY2Mg%2FXDVNdboGUxKLr1CWnI5G8%3D&reserved=0> with the possible project focus being: 1. the effect of Māori and European land use on New Zealand lakes, 2. assessing how New Zealand’s lakes have responded to past climate variability.
The precise make up and availability of the above projects is subject to approval from traditional owners and relevant government agencies.

I am sorry that these scholarships are only available to the following people:
Australian Citizens
Australian Permanent Residents
New Zealand Citizens
Permanent Humanitarian Visa Holders

With best wishes,
John

_________________________________________
Associate Professor John Tibby
Head of Department
Geography, Environment and Population
University of Adelaide
Pronouns: he/his

Phone: +61 (0)8 8313-5146<tel:%2B61%20%280%298%208313-5146>
EMAIL: john.tibby at adelaide.edu.au<mailto:john.tibby at adelaide.edu.au>

Recent publications:
Tibby et al. (2020) An 1800-year water-quality and vegetation record from Junction Park Billabong, Murray River, Australia: an assessment of European impacts and sensitivity to climate<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10933-019-00109-w#citeas>. Journal of Paleolimnology
Tibby et al. (2020) Diatom–water quality thresholds in South Australian streams indicate a need for more stringent water quality guidelines<http://www.publish.csiro.au/MF/MF19065>. Marine and Freshwater Research
Tibby et al. (2019) Assessing the relative impacts of land-use change and river regulation on Burdekin River (Australia) floodplain wetlands.<https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3151>  Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Tibby et al. (2018) Post little ice age drying of eastern Australia conflates understanding of early settlement impacts<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379118302051>  Quaternary Science Reviews

Web address: http://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/john.tibby
Google Scholar profile: http://tinyurl.com/Google-Scholar-Tibby
Twitter: john_tibby
Field work photos (link)<https://www.flickr.com/photos/25765066@N06/>

Address for sending samples:
John Tibby
c/o Sarah Hoggard
Room G19
Napier Building
University of Adelaide
North Terrace
Adelaide, South Australia, 5005

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