Jobs

River Klarälven, Värmland, Sweden

A position as “Associate senior lecturer in biology with research focus on stream habitat modelling and environmental flows” at Karlstad University is now open for application. The position is a fixed-term full-time employment for four years.

“For the first three years the position will be approximately 80% research and 20% teaching. Teaching will include courses in the undergraduate and master programs in Biology. The main duty of the position is to conduct research on the effects of habitat degradation, restoration, and streamflow on stream fish populations with a focus on regulated rivers. The successful candidate will be expected to evaluate the effects of habitat and stream flow on fish distribution, growth and abundance employing advanced ecological modelling. The candidate will be the main researcher in the new project: “Advanced ecological modelling for prioritizing environmental flows and habitat restoration in regulated rivers”. The project is a collaboration between Karlstad University and key actors in river restoration including world-leading modeling consultants DHI Sweden AB, and hydropower companies Vattenfall AB Fortum AB, and Sydkraft AB.”

Read more and apply for the position here. Last application date is 2018-03-31.

The experimental flume “Kungsrännan” under construction in Älvkarleby.

Hydropower dams block migration routes and disrupt longitudinal connectivity in rivers, thereby posing a threat to migratory fish species. Various fish passage solutions have been implemented to improve connectivity with varying success. For downstream migrating fish, low sloping turbine intake racks are used to guide fish to bypasses. Current knowledge, however, is based on hydropower plants with intake capacities <72 cm. There is also a trade-off between electricity generation and fish guidance (smaller bar spacing – better for fish, larger bar spacing – better for hydropower). Currently, gap widths/bar spacings of 10-20 mm are recommended but behavioral guidance effects open up the possibility of larger bar spacings.

During spring, Karlstad University in collaboration with Vattenfall and NINA, will experimentally study the behavior and passage performance of downstream migrating salmon smolts approaching a variety of low sloping intake racks. The experiments will be conducted in a new large experimental flume – Kungsrännan – at the Vattenfall hydraulic laboratory in Älvkarleby, Sweden. We will study the passage behavior and performance of smolts for alpha racks – inclined from the bottom up – and beta racks – angled from one side of the channel to the other – with different gap-widths (15-30 mm).

For this, we are looking for one interested and ambitious assistant to join us in Älvkarleby. The assistant will be salaried and is needed from mid-April to mid-June. Housing in the area can be provided. Are you interested in joining us? Contact Olle Calles for more information.

The principle behind downstream fish passage solutions using low sloping intake racks. The fish is swept and guided along a beta rack to a bypass at the rack’s downstream end.

A thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus).

NRRV is looking for a part-time project assistant to work with the endangered thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus). The project concerns rearing of juvenile mussels in the mussel lab in Veberöd, Skåne, and reintroduction of mussels in streams in southern Sweden. Read more and apply for the position here (Swedish). The last day to apply is 2 March 2018.