Internship: Modeling Hydraulic Impacts of River Obstacles on Migratory Fish
Six-month internship to model how river obstacles affect fish migration through hydraulic simulations and bio-energetic modeling.
Best for:Best for Master’s students in hydraulics, environmental modeling, or aquatic ecology with strong analytical skills and interest in interdisciplinary research.
Overview
This internship at INRAE’s FREEMA research team in Bordeaux, France, focuses on quantifying the hydraulic consequences of man-made river obstacles on migratory fish. The project, funded by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, aims to develop scenarios of environmental perturbations for use in individual-based bio-energetic models. The intern will conduct literature reviews, analyze open-access data, and conceptualize mathematical formulations linking obstacle properties to hydraulic parameters. The work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining hydraulics, ecology, and computational modeling to inform fish migration studies and ecosystem restoration strategies.
What you'll do
- Conduct a systematic literature review to identify key hydraulic parameters affected by river obstacles and their impact on fish migration.
- Analyze open-access data to explore relationships between obstacle properties, hydraulic parameters, and seasonal/flow-dependent variations.
- Develop generic mathematical formulations linking hydraulic parameters to obstacle characteristics.
- Design and model scenarios of typical migration routes involving obstacles for bio-energetic simulations.
- Collaborate with researchers to integrate findings into ongoing fish migration and energetics projects.
Requirements
Degree required: Ongoing Master’s degree or equivalent in hydraulics, fluvial geomorphology, environmental modeling, hydrology, limnology, or a related discipline
Language: French proficiency is not explicitly required, but English proficiency is essential for collaboration and reporting.
Instruction: French (primary) and English (for collaboration and documentation)
- Strong background in hydraulics or hydrology
- Familiarity with aquatic ecology or fish ecology
- Experience with literature review and data analysis
- Proficiency in R software for data analysis
- Critical thinking and rigorous methodology
- Open to international applicants
- No specific nationality or residency restrictions mentioned
- No age or prior experience caps
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-28
Applicants must submit a CV and a motivation letter via email to Mehdi Cherif and Paul Benne at the provided email addresses. Ensure documents are clear and concise, highlighting relevant skills and academic background.
- CV
- Motivation letter
Contact
Mehdi Cherif· Researcher
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