PhD Studentship in Marine Ecosystem Net Value of Decommissioning Offshore Infrastructure (University of Aberdeen)

Job title

PhD Studentship in Marine Ecosystem Net Value of Decommissioning Offshore Infrastructure.

Company

University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences.

Description of the job

The University of Aberdeen is seeking a highly motivated PhD student to investigate the marine ecosystem net value of decommissioning offshore infrastructure, focusing on quantifying the ecosystem services disbenefit of residual mercury contamination and the benefit of its removal.

The use of marine ecosystems is changing to achieve net zero targets in the face of climate change, with the decommissioning of petroleum platforms and the installation of wind farms. Contaminants associated with oil and gas platform cuttings piles or pipelines may become available for uptake, accumulating through the food web. Mercury is a naturally occurring metal associated with petroleum extraction and found in many North Sea fields. Mercury compounds are found as scale and residue inside pipes and tanks and in cuttings piles, and are discharged into the marine environment in produced water and flared and vented hydrocarbons.

In the environment, mercury can be methylated into methylmercury, a strong neurotoxin that bio-magnifies in high trophic level organisms such as marine mammals. Marine mammals are charismatic protected species contributing to socio-economic ecosystem services through tourism and sense of place, and act as sensors of marine pollution and sentinels of ecosystem and human health. Mercury is also found in commercially relevant fish species in North Sea fisheries, a large contributor to European food security, which could impact human health.

This project aims to quantify the ecosystem service cost of leaving cuttings piles and abandoned pipelines in place and quantify the net value of removing them, focusing on the North Sea, providing an explicit basis for Nature Improvement Credits (NIC) offsetting decommissioning cost. The PhD will be embedded in the VALMAS project, including stakeholder engagement events.

Objectives:

• Systematically review the location of North Sea cuttings piles and abandoned pipelines, point sources of contaminants, and their contaminant burden.
• Conduct fieldwork measuring contaminant leaching rates from cutting piles and abandoned pipework using passive samplers.
• Quantify mercury in tissue samples of stranded marine mammals archived by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) of species with high site fidelity (e.g., bottlenose and Risso's dolphins, harbour porpoises, grey and harbour seals).
• Use the Ecopath with Ecosim 'Ecotracer' tool to quantify rates of mercury bioaccumulation in North Sea food webs, from sources identified to predict future contamination trends.
• Quantify the disbenefit of leaving the examined infrastructures in place and benefits of removal, to quantify the potential value of a Nature Improvement Credit.

Supervisory team:

• Prof Astley Hastings (Primary Supervisor), University of Aberdeen.
• Dr Andrew Brownlow, University of Glasgow and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme.
• Dr Stephen Watson, Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
• Dr Rebecca von Hellfeld, University of Aberdeen.
• Dr Kieran Tierney, University of Glasgow and Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre.

The project will integrate with the VALMAS initiative and relevant industry partners. The student will benefit from shared expertise and networks, attend conferences, publish papers, conduct fieldwork, and gain laboratory skills.

Requirements

• Background in marine biology, environmental science, oceanography, or a related discipline.
• Strong interest in marine ecology, ecotoxicology, and the socio-ecological implications of energy transitions.
• Enthusiasm for both field and laboratory work.
• Experience in chemical analysis, trace metal ecology, or working with diverse biological samples (biota, sediment, water) would be advantageous.
• Keen to develop quantitative and modelling skills, particularly in ecosystem modelling or bioaccumulation dynamics.
• Interest in learning policy-relevant socio-economic approaches such as ecosystem services and natural capital.
• Comfortable engaging with stakeholders and collaborating across disciplines.
• Interest in the One Health framework is valuable.
• Adaptable, interdisciplinary in outlook, and motivated to generate scientific evidence to support sustainable, net-zero-aligned decommissioning and offshore planning.

Location

Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

Salary

£20,780 per year (tax-free stipend, 2025/26 rate).

How to apply

Apply through the FindAPhD portal. Both home and international students can apply, but there are limited international fee waivers available. International applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the primary supervisor before applying. Part-time study is available at a minimum of 50%, with funding provided pro rata.

Deadline

30/01/2026.

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