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JAE Intro 2026 Fellowship – JAEINT26_EX_0537: Reading Diet Histories in Fish Eye Lenses: Ontogeny and Individual Specialisation in Western Mediterranean Pelagic Food Webs

€600 monthly
Laboratory Office work Conservation and ecology Marine research

Job Description

At iMARES (ICM‑CSIC), we offer a research internship for bachelor’s or master’s students interested in trophic ecology, stable isotope analysis and marine fish life‑history reconstruction. The project uses δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from sequential layers of fish eye lenses to trace lifetime changes in diet and habitat use in pelagic species of the Western Mediterranean.

The study will analyse ontogenetic dietary shifts, quantify individual specialisation using isotopic variance components, and identify when and how individuals transition among prey fields and habitats. With an extensive dataset already available, the student will work with eye‑lens isotope chronologies to infer trophic trajectories and support assessments of population flexibility and vulnerability under environmental change.

The internship provides training in stable isotope data processing, R‑based ecological analysis, quantitative modelling, and sample preparation (lens extraction and material processing), within a collaborative research environment.

Requirements:

  • University students in the final year of a bachelor’s degree or enrolled in an official master’s degree during the 2025–2026 or 2026–2027 academic year.
  • Bachelor’s degree GPA: 7.5 or higher

Preferred qualifications:

  • Fluency in English
  • Knowledge of R programming, ecological data analysis or stable isotope ecology.
  • Laboratory experience is an asset.

What We Offer:

  • Duration & Weekly Hours: 7 months, 20 h/week
  • Fellowship: 4,200€ (600€/month)

The principal investigator (IP) will be Marta Coll

Requests: https://sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/programa-jae/jae-intro-2026

Career level

Internship

Career options

Academic, research and sciences
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