MARES jo in t doctoral program m e on marine ecosystems health and
conservation
Deprez Tim , Pieter Blondeel, Wendy Massart and Magda Vincx
MARES Secretariat, Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent U niversity
Krijgslaan 281/S8 9000 Ghent, Belgium
E-mail: mares@uqent.be
The MARES Doctoral Programme is a jo in t international them atic doctoral program m e th a t was
initiated in 2010. Since then, over 30 young scientists are actively conducting research focused on
the impacts o f human activities on marine ecosystems.
MARES PhD candidates focus on six scientific and applied fields, all dealing w ith marine ecosystems
health and conservation:
1. Future Oceans : tem perature changes - hypoxia - acidification
2. U nderstanding bio dive rsity effects on the fu n c tio n in g o f marine ecosystems
3. Biological invasions
4. Natural Resources : overexp loita tion , fisheries and aquaculture
5. Ocean noise p ollution
6. Habitat loss, urban developm ent, coastal infrastructures and Marine Spatial Planning
The program m e is funded th ro ug h Erasmus Mundus and is offered by a consortium o f 24 partners,
o rigin atin g fro m 14 d iffe re n t countries. MARES offers each year 9 fellow ships o f 3 year fo r doctoral
researchers. These fellow ships always involve at least 2 partners o f the MARES C onsortium w ith an
o b lig a to ry m o b ility com ponent. The call fo r applications is open between September and December
fo r fellow ships starting at the earliest in September the year after.
Beside its research com ponent, the MARES doctoral program m e has also a tra in in g program m e
which is open to any doctoral student in the field o f marine science. D octoral students enrolling in
th is doctoral tra in in g program m e have access to a wide range o f doctoral tra in in g initiatives, are
invited to annual m eetings and can benefit from e xpe rt guidance fo r both research and train in g
issues.
Website o f the MARES jo in t D octoral Programme: www.m ares-eu.org
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