Supervisors

Lead Supervisor

Professor Chris Perry – University of Exeter

Additional Supervisors

Dr Barend van Maanen – University of Exeter

Dr Steve Palmer – University of Exeter

Dr Ken Johnson – Natural History Museum, Earth Sciences

Dr Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip – UNAM, Mexico

Location: Streatham Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon.

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP).  The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the University of Exeter plus five Research Organisation partners:  British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology,  the Natural History Museum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.  The partnership aims to provide a broad training in earth and environmental sciences, designed to train tomorrow’s leaders in earth and environmental science. For further details about the programme please see http://nercgw4plus.ac.uk/

For eligible successful applicants, the studentships comprises:

• An stipend for 3.5 years (currently £15,285 p.a. for 2020-21) in line with UK Research and Innovation rates
• Payment of university tuition fees;
• A research budget of £11,000 for an international conference, lab, field and research expenses;
• A training budget of £3,250 for specialist training courses and expenses.
• Up to £750 for travel and accomodation for compulsory cohort events.

Project details

Project Background:

The growth and development of tropical coral reefs is strongly influenced both by the rate at which skeletal calcium carbonate is produced (mainly by corals), and the rate at which this carbonate is degraded or removed by biological and physical processes. The balance between these production and erosion processes is described as a reefs carbonate budget. In the Caribbean, where coral reefs have suffered severe declines in coral cover over the past few decades due to multiple human impacts and climate change, the carbonate budgets of most reefs are increasingly dominated by erosional processes. This is leading to loss of reef growth potential and structural erosion. Methodologies to quantify these carbonate budget states now exist, but whilst there is reasonably good data on rates of carbonate production to inform calculations, data on the rates at which different species erode reef material and on rates of physical removal are sparse. This PhD project aims to address these key knowledge gaps.

Project Aims and Methods:

The aim of this project is to address current data gaps relevant to constraining rates of biological and physical substrate erosion on Caribbean coral reefs, and to quantify their impacts on Caribbean reefs. This will be undertaken using a combination of field and experimental approaches, with a specific focus on the shallow-water reefs of the Mexican Caribbean in the proximity of the UNAM Lab at Puerto Morelos.

Specifically, the student will: (1) undertake experiments to quantify rates of substrate erosion by endolithic sponges. This is projected to be based on ex-situ experiments, the design of which the students will take a major role in developing; (2) Assess how different sponge species utilise different substrate types and space on the reef – to inform models of changing sponge erosion rates as reef communities and substrates change; (3) Undertake experiments to quantify rates of endolithic microbioerosion between substrates/habitat spaces – to inform estimates of rates of reef-wide microborer erosion; and (4) Quantify rates of physical reef framework movement and removal – to inform predictions of rates of reef growth potential.

The student is expected to have significant input into experiment design, with some flexibility to steer the key area of focus on these processes depending on individual research interests.

 Candidate requirements:

Candidates must a have a good first degree (and preferably an MSc) in a relevant academic area (physical geography, ecology, earth science), a strong interest in the geomorphology or ecology of coral reefs (preferably supported by relevant field experience), good general field experience and a current SCUBA diving qualification.

Training:

The student will receive training in marine field surveying (including census-based carbonate budget assessment protocols), experimental design and in the use of a range of analytical facilities including, depending on project direction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Micro CT scanning. In support of data collection the student will be based overseas for periods of a few weeks to months, undertaking a series of in-water and ex-situ experiments to quantify rates of microbioerosion and endolithic sponge erosion in different types of coral substrates in the Mexican Caribbean region. This work will be conducted in collaboration with Co-Supervisor Alvarez-Filip and his team.

Background reading and references:

• Perry CT & Alvarez-Filip L (2019) Changing geo-ecological functionality of coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Functional Ecology. 33, 976-988. doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13247
• Perry CT, Steneck RS, Murphy GN, Kench PS, Edinger EN, Smithers SG, Mumby PJ (2014) Regional-scale dominance of non-framework building corals on Caribbean reefs affects carbonate production and future reef growth. Global Change Biology 21: 1153-1164.
• Perry C.T., Murphy G.N., Kench P.S., Edinger E.N., Smithers S.G., Steneck R.S., Mumby P.J. (2014) Changing dynamics of Caribbean reef carbonate budgets: emergence of reef bioeroders as critical controls on present and future reef growth potential. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 281: 2014-2018
• Perry C.T., Edinger E.N., Kench, P.S., Mumby P.J., Murphy G., Steneck, R.S. and Smithers S.G. (2012) Estimating rates of biologically driven coral reef framework production and erosion: a new census-based carbonate budget methodology and applications to the reefs of Bonaire. Coral Reefs. 31: 853-868
• Perry, C.T., Spencer, T. & Kench, P. (2008) Carbonate budgets and reef production states: a geomorphic perspective on the ecological phase-shift concept. Coral Reefs 27: 853-866

Useful links:

For information relating to the research project please contact the lead Supervisor.

Prospective applicants: For information about the application process please contact the Admissions team via pgrenquiries@exeter.ac.uk.

Each research studentship project advertisement has an ‘Apply Now’ button linking to an application portal. Please note that applications received via other routes including a standard programme application route will not be considered for the studentship funding.

Eligibility

NERC GW4+ DTP studentships are open to UK and Irish nationals who, if successful in their applications, will receive a full studentship including payment of university tuition fees at the home fees rate.

A limited number of full studentships are also available to international students which are defined as EU (excluding Irish nationals), EEA, Swiss and all other non-UK nationals.  For further details please see the NERC GW4+ website.

Those not meeting the nationality and residency requirements to be treated as a ‘home’ student may apply for a limited number of full studentships for international students. Although international students are usually charged a higher tuition fee rate than ‘home’ students, those international students offered a NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership full studentship starting in 2021 will only be charged the ‘home’ tuition fee rate (which will be covered by the studentship). International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. More information on this is available from the universities you are applying to (contact details are provided in the project description that you are interested in

The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK.   Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Master’s degree.  Applicants with a minimum of Upper Second Class degree and significant relevant non-academic experience are encouraged to apply.

All applicants would need to meet our English language requirements by the start of the  project http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/.

How to apply

Apply here: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/pg-research/money/award/?id=3996

In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents.  Please note our preferred format is PDF, each file named with your surname and the name of the document, eg. “Smith – CV.pdf”, “Smith – Cover Letter.pdf”, “Smith – Transcript.pdf”.

• CV
• Letter of application outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project.
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained.  This should be an interim transcript if you are still studying.
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English.

Reference information
You will be asked to name 2 referees as part of the application process, however we will not expect receipt of references until after the shortlisting stage. Your referees should not be from the prospective supervisory team.

If you are shortlisted for interview, please ensure that your two academic referees email their references to the pgr-recruitment@exeter.ac.uk, 7 days prior to the interview dates.  Please note that we will not be contacting referees to request references, you must arrange for them to be submitted to us by the deadline.

References should be submitted by your referees to us directly in the form of a letter. Referees must email their references to us from their institutional email accounts. We cannot accept references from personal/private email accounts, unless it is a scanned document on institutional headed paper and signed by the referee.

All application documents must be submitted in English. Certified translated copies of academic qualifications must also be provided.

The closing date for applications is Friday 8 January 2021 2359 GMT .  Interviews will be held between 8th and 19th February 2021.  For more information about the NERC GW4+ DPT please visit https://nercgw4plus.ac.uk

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email pgrenquiries@exeter.ac.uk.  Project-specific queries should be directed to the lead supervisor.

Data Sharing
During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates.  These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to:

• the selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from one or more other HEIs;
• administrative staff at one or more other HEIs participating in the relevant programme.

Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent.