Pre-doctoral Contract in Blue Carbon Sinks of the Basque Coast

Would you like to join a leading, innovative organization strongly committed to research and providing value to society?

The purpose of AZTI is to drive positive change for the future of people, contributing to a healthy, sustainable, and integral society. And you can be part of this challenge.

From the Global Change in Marine Ecosystems (CGEM) team, we are looking for a person to carry out a Doctoral Thesis at AZTI on "Blue carbon sinks of the Basque coast: implications for climate change mitigation and local adaptation."

The selected candidate will apply to the IKERTALENT 2026 - training grants for research and technological personnel in the scientific-technological and business fields of the agricultural, fishing, and food sectors. In this case, it is a grant program for researchers in training (Doctorate) with a duration of 4 years.

Thesis title: Blue carbon sinks of the Basque coast: implications for climate change mitigation and local adaptation.

Project tutors at AZTI: Mireria Valle, Guillem Chust.

Center: AZTI Sukarrieta; (Pasaia headquarters to be assessed).

Join AZTI and be part of our team to transform the future!

We are an applied research center specializing in the marine sector and sustainable food.

At AZTI, we are curious, committed people with a transformative vocation. We work collaboratively to generate knowledge with a positive impact on society.

Here, every person counts: you will be part of a community of more than 280 professionals where continuous learning, collaboration, and development are part of everyday life.

As a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), we participate in international projects that connect science, technology, and real impact.

The general objective of the doctoral thesis project is to advance the understanding of the contribution of blue carbon ecosystems of the Basque coast to climate change mitigation, through the integration of spatial, biogeochemical, and predictive approaches that allow for the evaluation of their current dynamics, future evolution, and the implications of different management, conservation, and restoration strategies. The research will focus on salt marshes and intertidal seagrass meadows of Nanozostera noltei, the main blue carbon sinks present on the Basque coast.

Through the integration of remote sensing techniques, geographic information systems (GIS), biogeochemical analysis, and ecological modeling, the spatial characterization of these ecosystems, the quantification of their carbon reserves and accumulation rates, as well as the analysis of their stability and associated microbiome, will be addressed. Likewise, their historical capacity for climate change mitigation will be evaluated.

The project is structured into two complementary phases. The first will be oriented towards the mapping, monitoring, and evaluation of carbon sequestration and storage dynamics, integrating information from regional and European projects currently in execution. The second phase will focus on the development of species distribution models (SDM) to project the future evolution of these blue carbon ecosystems under different global change scenarios, including sea-level rise and climate warming. These models will allow for the identification of vulnerable areas and priority zones for conservation and restoration. Likewise, the potential effect of different conservation and restoration measures will be evaluated through literature review and quantitative simulations of net carbon gain.

The results will contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge regarding blue carbon ecosystems and to guiding climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, providing relevant information for the conservation, restoration, and management of these ecosystems on the Basque coast.

For the development of the research, access will be provided to marine observation infrastructures, biogeochemical and molecular analysis laboratories, remote sensing platforms, geographic information systems, and scientific computing resources.

Additionally, databases generated in regional and European projects will be used, including Blue Carbon Sinks in Euskadi, C-BLUES, Regions4Climate (R4C), and MORSE. Stays at international research centers of national relevance, partners of the indicated project consortia and participants in the Spanish Group of Experts in Blue Carbon Ecosystems, are contemplated.

• Degree/Studies: Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences, Physics, or other related fields in the branch of Experimental and Natural Sciences.
• Languages: An advanced level of English will be valued, allowing the candidate to function adequately in scientific literature review, the preparation of international publications and communications, as well as during stays at foreign research centers.
• To be registered as a resident in a municipality of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country since at least January 1st of the current year 2026.
• Review the specific requirements section of the grants for the training of research personnel: IKERTALENT 2026

• To be in possession of a master's degree in any of the indicated fields.
• Interest or experience in marine ecology and climate change.
• Knowledge of GIS.
• Programming (R).
• Motivation for scientific research, with previous experience in research activities, participation in projects, conferences, scientific publications, or stays at research centers being valued.
• Capacity for adaptation and learning, initiative to face new challenges and seek solutions, and willingness to work in a team and collaborate with people from different fields.
• Availability to travel (stays, conferences).

The formal application for the scholarship will be made through the Basque Government call: IKERTALENT 2026

Although the formal application is through the Basque Government, we encourage you to provide us with your CV and any questions or doubts you may have, so that we can evaluate your candidacy and guide you through the application process itself.

If you have any questions about the registration, you can get in touch via the following email: dlarrinaga@azti.es.

If you want to know more about the thesis, you can speak with mvalle@azti.es and/or gchust@azti.es.

Do you like what we have told you? Apply for this offer and live the experience with AZTI!