About the Project
Lough Feeagh is a deep, oligotrophic humic lake located within the Burrishoole catchment on the west coast of Ireland. is the catchment is an internationally important long-term ecological monitoring site, with over 70 years of diadromous fish records (Atlantic salmon, Brown trout and European eel) and extensive high-frequency monitoring of lake and river physico-chemistry, plankton and hydrology. Lough Feeagh is a key reference site within the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) and is widely used to study the impacts of climate and land-use change on freshwater ecosystems.
This PhD will investigate food web dynamics and environmental change within this deep humic lake. The project will utilise long-term datasets collected by the Marine Institute to quantify trophic structure, energy flows and ecosystem functioning within the lake. The student will investigate how environmental pressures, including climate-driven warming, changing stratification, and catchment land-use change (e.g. forestry cessation and rewilding) influence food web dynamics and key species.
The research will involve defining functional groups across the lake ecosystem (phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, fish and microbial components), compiling and analysing long-term biological and environmental datasets, and constructing an Ecopath food web model. Dynamic Ecosim simulations will then be used to explore ecosystem responses to scenarios such as rising water temperatures, altered carbon inputs, changes in fish populations, and shifts in plankton communities.
The PhD student will be based primarily at the Marine Institute’s research station in Newport, Co. Mayo and will work closely with Marine Institute staff and the ATU supervisors. The project offers training in ecosystem modelling, freshwater and fisheries ecology, statistical analysis in R, and field and laboratory techniques, and will contribute to improved understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental change, with direct relevance to freshwater management, fisheries conservation and nature restoration in Ireland.
Requirements/Qualifications:
Minimum requirements
· An Honours Degree (minimum 2.1 BSc) or MSc in Marine or Environmental Science, Zoology, Ecology, or a related discipline.
· Strong quantitative skills, including data handling and statistical analysis
· An Interest in ecosystem modelling, freshwater ecology and climate impacts
· Fluency in spoken and written English (consult language requirements for ATU students HERE).
· A full (international EU) driving licence.
Additional desirable requirements:
· Experience with R or other statistical software
· Knowledge of aquatic ecology, fish biology or limnology
· Experience with modelling tools (Ecopath/Ecosim, population models, or similar)
· Experience with GIS, stable isotopes, or stomach content analysis
· Excellent field and laboratory skills.
Project Duration: 48 months
Project Start Date: No later than 31st May 2026
Application Closing Date: Friday 20th February 2026 with interviews to take place in March 2026
Application Procedure:
Applicants should submit their:
· Curriculum Vitae (to include details of 2 referees)
· A copy of transcript of results
· A Personal Statement
The Personal Statement should not exceed 2 pages and should include an outline of:
Ø How you meet the requirements of the position
Ø Why you would like to pursue this PhD research programme
Applications must be submitted to researchoffice.galwaymayo@atu.ie e-mail address only. Please ensure all documents are emailed as a single Word or PDF file.
For further information on the project, please contact: Dr Louise Vaughan (louise.vaughan@atu.ie)
Data Protection Statement
ATU takes very seriously its legal obligations as set out in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 to safeguard and protect your personal information in our possession. The personal information which you disclose to us in this form will only be used to assess your suitability; administer and register you for this scholarship. We will not keep your personal information for any longer than is necessary for those stated purposes. For more details, please refer to ATU’s Student Privacy Statement: https://www.atu.ie/app/uploads/2024/12/privacy-notice-for-students.pdf
Funding Notes
Conditions:
· €25,000 Stipend per annum.
· Postgraduate fees for EU students of €6,000 per annum* will be covered by the project
· Any necessary national and international travel and material costs incurred during the project will be covered by the project.
*Please Note: Candidates from outside the EU are eligible to apply, but will be expected to provide evidence of sources of additional funds to cover excesses associated with Non-EU fees.
Project Start Date: No later than 31st May 2026
Application Closing Date: Friday 20th February 2026 with interviews to take place in March 2026
