Carbon stocks in the fjords of eastern Canada

Original government version here

Closing: 2026-06-12

Carbon stocks in the fjords of eastern Canada - Research Affiliate Program

Natural Resources Canada - Geoscience and Earth Monitoring Sector – Geological Survey of Canada - GSC-Québec

Closing date: June 12, 2026 - 23:59, Pacific Time

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Reference number
RSN26J-151896-001062

Selection process number
2026-RSN-EA-GEMS-674320

Location
Québec (Québec)

Employment tenure
This PhD will start in September 2026 and will last 4 years.

Salary
Student will receive up to 35 700$ per year, payable in equal instalments three times a year.

Who can apply
To be considered for Research Affiliate Program (RAP) work opportunities, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be recognized as having full-time student status in the PhD program at l’Institut des sciences de la mer de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER-UQAR). (A proof will be required)
2. You are enrolled in an academic program that requires research as part of your curriculum;
3. You meet the minimum age required in the province/territory of work;

This includes students with physical or emotional disabilities deemed to have full-time status by their academic institution. Adult students registered in education and retraining programs at the secondary level may also be eligible for student employment programs.

Note: Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the job requirements.

Organization information
For further information on the organization, please visit Natural Resources Canada.

About the position

Duties
Fjords represent some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth. Despite representing <0.1% of the global ocean area, fjords are estimated to bury ~11% of the world’s marine sedimentary organic carbon (OC). Their steep topography, high sedimentation rates, and persistent stratification promote rapid burial of both terrigenous and marine organic carbon, as well as significant contributions from petrogenic carbon derived from eroding sedimentary rocks. Yet, the Canadian Arctic, which contains one of the world’s highest densities of glacially carved fjord systems - stretching Labrador to Ellesmere Island - remains critically understudied. This project will integrate sub-bottom data, sedimentation processes, and geochemical profiles to: quantify OC sequestration across north-eastern Canadian fjords, identify major controls on OC burial (e.g., basin geometry, sedimentology, turbidite carbon pump, degradation rate constants), and model future changes.

Objectives
Obj. 1: Quantify sedimentary organic carbon stocks across a latitudinal transect from Labrador to Ellesmere Island
Obj. 2: Assess mechanisms driving OC deposition and sequestration, including turbidity currents, basin morphology, and sedimentation regimes
Obj. 3: Determine controls on long-term OC burial including remineralization and diagenesis rates
Obj. 4: Develop predictive models of basin-scale OC burial capacity under changing climatic and sedimentary conditions

Methods
This project will integrate marine geology, organic geochemistry, and sedimentology to quantify OC sequestration across north-eastern Canadian fjords. It will leverage sediment cores available at ISMER and the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), along with existing sub-bottom data.
Marine geology: Mapping of fjord morphology, sediment thickness, turbidity current deposits, and mass-wasting features; identification of depocenters with optimal conditions for long-term OC burial.
Geochemistry: Quantification of %OC by elemental analysis, OC source partitioning by stable and radioactive carbon isotopes as well as Rock-Eval pyrolysis, redox sensitive trace elements analysis by ICP-MS to understand fjord water column redox influence on OC burial.
Sedimentology: Determination of grain size, chronology, water content, and bulk density to estimate carbon mass accumulation rates.

Intent of the process
The intention is to staff one student position for the completion of a PhD.

Positions to be filled
1

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Learn more about security screening process.

• The student will need to be registered at l’Institut des sciences de la mer de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER-UQAR) for this PhD degree, where his/her advisor will be located, and reside in or close to Rimouski due to the location of the laboratories and fieldwork.
• The student must be ready to do regular field and lab work and irregular work hours.

You need (essential for the job)

Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following

EDUCATION:
• The candidate must hold a master’s degree from a recognized university with a specialization in one of the following disciplines: geology, Earth sciences, geological engineering.
• The candidate must be currently enrolled or willing to enroll at the l’Institut des sciences de la mer de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER-UQAR).

Learn more about degree equivalency.

EXPERIENCE:
• Experience with sedimentology.
• Experience in interpreting sediment core data.
• Experience with treatment and interpretation of seismic data.
• Experience with basin analysis.
• Experience identifying and picking foraminifera.
• Experience with equipment used for geochemical analysis.

Applied / assessed at a later date

COMPETENCIES:
• Motivation
• Work efficiently in a collaborative team
• Autonomy

ABILITIES:
• Ability to communicate effectively orally
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing

Language requirements (essential for the job)

Applied / assessed at a later date

English or French

Learn more about language requirements.

Our commitment

We're committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Learn more about assessment accommodation.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply.

Learn more about diversity and inclusion in the public service.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

Learn more about preference to veterans.

How to apply

Learn more about applying for Government of Canada jobs.

Information you must provide

Your résumé

We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Hiring organization contact

Name: Maya Crisostomo - Human Resources Advisor
Email address: