Ph.D. Opportunity, Newcastle University, UK
Project Title: Physics, biology and ecology of toxic plankton blooms
In this interdisciplinary project you will combine state of the art biophysics, theoretical and experimental, with algal physiology and ecotoxicology to elucidate the mechanisms of toxic HAB formation using Karenia mikimotoi – a HAB dinoflagellate of increasing global concern (Li et al. 2019). Through a combination of lab-based studies and controlled marine environments (microcosms) you will investigate how light and nutrient availability shape blooms and their toxic content. You will also study the link between motility and mixotrophy, the ability of toxic algae to switch between photosynthetic growth and other types of nutrient acquisition (e.g. feeding on bacteria), which has not previously been investigated.
Methodology
• Advanced microscopy (including differential dynamic microscopy) to characterise the motility of dinoflagellates and their ‘taxes’, biased responses towards light and other factors
• Microfluidics to quantify chemotaxis to nutrients and access to prey
• Quantitative macroscopy to chart the migration of dinoflagellates in lab-based millifluidic devices (cuvettes)
• Migration in microcosms will be quantified by macro imaging of the water surface, plus samples of the population density measured by calibrated optical density
• The growth and health of the microalgae in various nutrient regimes will be characterised by growth assays and Fv/Fm measurements
• Toxic chemicals will be characterised by LCMS
• Agent based and continuum models of microalgal migration in response to environmental taxes
Project Timeline
Year 1
Year 1 work will be largely lab based involving:
• characterisation of Karenia mikimotoi growth, both phototrophic and mixotrophic simultaneously to photosynthetic health
• Measurement of toxin production in various stages of growth
• Determination by advanced microscopy of the biased swimming of Karenia to light (phototaxis), chemicals (chemotaxis) and bacteria (bacteriotaxis), and measurement of key taxis parameters.
• Development of an agent based model of bloom formation, and test in the lab
Year 2
Year 2 work will involve:
• Scaling up the artificial blooms to lab microscosms (square ponds)
• Quantification of blooms by top view imaging measuring algal accumulation and depth sampling to obtain the population depth profile
• Adaptation of the model to describe the microcosms (addition of fluid flow and temperature gradient).
Year 3
Year work 3 builds on years 1 and 2, allowing:
• Model testing for microcosms and adapting it to describe environmental blooms
• Use aerial and satellite data to check the model predictions and explore opportunities to incorporate your findings into existing K. mikimotoi bloom development and transport models.
• In this year you should also be looking for opportunities beyond the PhD
Year 3.5
In year 3.5, you will be writing your thesis and doing minor amounts of further analysis of to refine your analysis and presentation of results.
Training
& Skills
• School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics and Newcastle University training (e.g. Health and Safety, How to write a literature review, Unix shell)
• Culture training visit to the Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa in Oban, Scotland.
• Visit to Plymouth Marine Laboratory to explore whether project findings can be used to improve the predictive power of the S3 EUORHAB (https://pml.ac.uk/news/blooming-algae-off-the-south-west-coast/)
• Integration with the Sonic Intangibles programme (https://sonicintangibles.github.io/) to explore sonification of swimming data as an additional path for dissemination.
Supervisory Team
Ottavio Croze, Newcastle University
Evangelos Spyrakos, University of Stirling
Gary Caldwell, Newcastle University
University Collaborators
Andrew Baggaley, Lancaster University
- Posted: November 12, 2025
- Job Type: PhD
- Application deadline (expired): 12/08/2025
- Organization: Newcastle University
- Qualifications: Applicants may only apply to one Iapetus project in any given year. Where applicants submit more than one application, only the final application submitted before the deadline will be considered. Iapetus is looking for candidates with the following qualities and backgrounds: -A first or 2:1 undergraduate degree, or have relevant comparable experience – we welcome applications from those with non-traditional routes to PhD study; & -Potential to carry out excellent research, as demonstrated by individuals with a passion to follow a career pathway in environmental research or applications.
- How to apply: Apply on website.
- Web address: https://iapetus.ac.uk/studentships/physics-biology-and-ecology-of-toxic-plankton-blooms/
Contact Information
Ottavio (Otti) Croze
Newcastle University
otti.croze@newcastle.ac.uk