Early stage research

One aim of LOICZ is to provide a framework to encourage the fullest participation of multi-national, regional, and national research activities in its scientific activities that are focused on achieving the goals, aims and objectives outlined in the LOICZ Science Plan and Implementation Strategy (SPIS). A way we accomplish this is to actively engage with the international research community whose work concerns natural and social sciences of Global Environmental Change in the coastal zone. The LOICZ project provides a forum to assimilate, integrate and synthesize the outputs of the research community. Furthermore it provides an opportunity to communicate, dicuss and disseminate these outputs making them available to the global audience of scientific peers, the general public, and decision-makers in policy and practice.

LOICZ acknowledges that much of the work contributing to coastal Earth System science is being carried out by young scientists. Therefore LOICZ wants to support these efforts by enhancing their visibility and introduction to scientific peers in the global research community. Affiliated early stage research will thus contribute to the global research portfolio and its products and information will also feed into the global LOICZ synthesis likewise with the larger affiliated projects.

We encourage early stage researchers at PhD and Post-doc level to affiliate their research projects and activities to the LOICZ network. A ffiliation will give early stage scientists comprehensive information about the variety of scientific activities in their field and allow them to foster their network with senior scientists and the global research community. They may also have easier access to participation in workshops, conferences and meetings organized by LOICZ that relate to their own work. By promoting their individual research on a global platform, early stage researchers will be given the opportunity to contribute to LOICZ aims and objectives directly.

Project affiliation aims to provide the following benefits and "added value”:

• Details of the early stage research, its Principal Investigator (PI) and supervisor, and the contributing team can be made widely available through the LOICZ website.
• Principal Investigators of affiliated activities will be offered a Corresponding Membership to the LOICZ SSC (does not apply to PhD level). The appointment is subject to annual review.
• Outputs and outcomes of affiliated activities – journal articles, books and other reports – can be promoted through the LOICZ website and/or newsletter.
• Information about workshops, conferences, other meetings and news associated with affiliated activities can be advertised on the LOICZ website or in the LOICZ newsletter.
• LOICZ affiliated researchers play a significant role in contributing to workshops, conferences and meetings organized by LOICZ providing the opportunity to work with other scientists operating in similar fields and/or addressing similar issues.
• LOICZ welcomes ideas and suggestions from affiliated activities for workshops, other forms of meetings and other types of support.
• Affiliated researchers receive the LOICZ newsletter as one source of information about LOICZ activities and work of other LOICZ researchers.
• LOICZ has access to a wide circle of information related to funding and the science community that is available through its database.

Application for an affiliation of scientific work at PhD and Post Doc level requires:

• Completing of a short (online) form that outlines your research project,
• An assessment of how your work relates and contributes to one or more of the LOICZ Scientific Themes identified in the SPIS and/or the current Priority Topic areas outlined on the LOICZ website along with
• A copy of the thesis outline.
• In addition and to guarantee a good conduct in quality control LOICZ kindly asks for a co-signature and professional affiliation details of the supervising scientist.

Further information on the affiliation procedure can be found in the Projects section.

Research activities at PhD and Post-doc level that seek affiliation with LOICZ should address at least one of the LOICZ Scientific Themes and/or Priority Topics. Alternatively, they may contribute to a cross-cutting focus of LOICZ. For further information on affiliation criteria please [click here]

• F. Gazeau (post-doctorant): LOICZ biochemical budgets in a well-studied ecosystem in the North Sea   - Comparison with sophisticated models. Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche.
• M. Paul (doctoral student): The role of two seagrass species in wave attentuation and coastal protection. University of Southampton.
• C. McLean (Master student): Seven Estuaries within the eThekwini Municipal Area, South Africa: Aspects of their Ecology and Implications for Management. eThekwini Municipality, Environmental Management Department.
• N. Govender (Master student): Sandy beaches along the urbanised Durban coastline: biodiversity, ecosystem services and implications for management. University of KwaZulu Natal.