Unravelling southwest Indian Ocean biological productivity and physics: a machine learning approach
Not stated
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom
- Funding
- Fully funded (UK and international)
- Application deadline
- See university guidance
About the project
The Mozambique channel and Madagascan waters are a region of the southwestern Indian Ocean with complex circulation patterns that play a key role in the distribution of marine species and regulation of local ecosystems [1]. Unsupervised machine learning techniques can help classify the nonlinear interactions of these circulation patterns and determine those impacting biological productivity [2], where local economies are dependent on marine living resources. Although the flows around Madagascar are known to affect the southern Mozambique channel, they may also influence dynamics farther north because of high eddy activity within the channel. The anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies result in warmer and cooler conditions [3], affecting nutrient distributions. This then impacts phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish and higher trophic levels, and the northern part of the channel that is on the annual migration routes of the Indian Ocean tuna stocks [1]. The biological effects of the eddies aren’t fully understood but, in a changing climate, could affect the fisheries on which local populations depend both for food and livelihoods. This project will apply machine learning to long-term satellite and in situ observations to unravel the effects of the mesoscale dynamics around Madagascar and in the Mozambique Channel on biological productivity there.
For full project details visit the Inspire project page .
Lead supervisor
- Professor Meric Srokosz (National Oceanography Centre)
Supervisors
- Doctor Fatma Jebri (National Oceanography Centre)
- Professor Richard Lampitt (National Oceanography Centre)
- Professor Benjamin MacArthur (University of Southampton)
Professor Benjamin Macarthur
- Mathematical modeling
- Complex networks
- Cell biology
Entry requirements
A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent , in one of these subjects:
- any numerate discipline
- engineering
- mathematics
- oceanography or marine science
- physics
Fees and funding
INSPIRE studentships are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI). The stipend is in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase.
All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years.
How to apply
To make an application, visit the how to apply section of the INSPIRE website .
Contact us
For questions about the project, contact Professor Meric Srokosz:
Email: mas@noc.ac.uk
For questions about the application process, contact the graduate school office.
Email: gsnocs@soton.ac.uk