Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (ETH Domain), is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in River Food-Web Ecology & Artificial Flood Restoration within the Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc) in Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
Research Focus & Fish Ecology Scope
In hydropower-regulated Alpine rivers, artificial floods serve as critical restoration tools. The postdoctoral research investigates how manipulated flood regimes reshape aquatic-terrestrial connectivity, macroinvertebrate biomass, and fish foraging:
- Long-Term River Spöl Monitoring: Analyzing a unique 25-year ecological dataset from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park combined with new field monitoring.
- Trophic Pathways & Stable Isotope Ecology: Tracing energy flow and food-web architecture from periphyton to stream macroinvertebrates and native salmonid fishes.
- Adaptive Environmental-Flow Management: Providing quantitative ecological indicators to guide environmental-flow policy and dam re-licensing across Europe.
Position Package & Contract Details
- Host Institution: Eawag (ETH Domain), Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
- Contract: Full-time postdoctoral research contract.
- Start Date: Flexible; preferred start by January 2027.
- Salary: Highly competitive Swiss ETH-domain postdoctoral salary with comprehensive social and retirement benefits.
Candidate Requirements
- Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology, Fish Biology, Limnology, Freshwater Science, or River Ecosystem Ecology.
- Expertise in river food webs, stable isotope analysis, aquatic invertebrate/fish ecology, or hydromorphology.
- Proficiency in R and quantitative data analysis.
How to Apply
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested researchers should submit their application through Eawag’s online recruitment portal, including a letter of motivation, CV, publication list, and contact details for three professional references.