March 2010 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Steller Sea Lion Field Camp Positions
by Kenady Reuland 02 Mar '10

02 Mar '10

Biological Technician position (May 17-Aug. 8, 2010) NOAA/NMFS/Alaska Fishery Science Center National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), Seattle, WA Alaska Ecosystem Program/Steller sea lion field camps Aquatic Farms (Ltd. of Honolulu, Hawaii), a contractor for The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Fishery Science Center, is soliciting cover letters and resumes for the upcoming 2010 field season to study the western stock of endangered Steller sea lions (/Eumetopias jubatus/) in Alaska. This work is part of a long-term annual population abundance and survival monitoring program. Duties include conducting counts, identifying individual sea lions by tags, brands, and natural markings, and monitoring reproduction and survival at remote field sites in Alaska. For general information about the program, visit this website: http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/alaska/ Employment will be from May 17-Aug 8, 2010. Between 1 and 6 new biological technicians will be contracted for the 2010 field season. Application information is listed below. The first week of employment (May 17-21, 2010) is spent training in Seattle. Attendance is mandatory and successful completion of training is required for all field team members. Food and lodging in Seattle are not provided. Transportation from Seattle to and from Alaska and the field site, food, and lodging in the field are provided. Field teams are typically in Alaska for 8-10 weeks. Field work is conducted by 2-4 member teams in remote camps located at either Ugamak Island (eastern Aleutian Islands) or Marmot Island (central Gulf of Alaska). All personnel are expected to perform daily research duties as well as camp maintenance (chopping wood, hauling water, cooking, and compost toilet maintenance etc). Participants are required to stay for the duration of the field season and there are no crew changes. Field stations are remote, there are no other residents on the islands, and outside communication is limited (no cell phone coverage and no email). Researchers live in small shelters at the various sites with no running water or electricity. Field stations are accessible only by ship or helicopter. Each camp is staffed with one field camp leader and 1-2 assistants. The camp leader serves as the senior person in the camp and has previous experience on this project. Field camp leaders are responsible for field camp logistics and maintenance, ensuring that research goals are met, that safety protocols are followed, ensuring that all data is entered and edited during the season, the field equipment and supplies are returned, and producing an annual report at end of field season. Field camp leaders generally have previous experience on the project at a field camp. Under the guidance of a field camp leader, field camp assistants help with camp preparation, data collection, data entry and editing, and field gear inventory and packing. All team members maintain a safe working environment for field personnel, participate in daily camp maintenance and operation, and assist with the return of field equipment and supplies at the end of the season. _Research Duties_: Research is conducted outdoors 7 days per week, often in inclement weather. Temperatures at field sites can range from 40 to 85 degrees. Fog, wind, and rain are common, with occasional snow early in the season. Personnel should be prepared to hike (> 5 miles) with a large heavy daypack, over rough uneven terrain, steep slopes, rocky ledges, and have no fear of heights or flying in helicopters. Observation stations are located on the edge of cliffs or overlooks above the sea lions. Observers will be expected to use binoculars and spotting scopes for long periods of time and be able to recognize markings or brands on sea lions. /There is generally no animal handling during field camp operations./ Sea lions should be unaware of the presence of biologists. Personnel should be in excellent physical condition with no pre-existing health problems such as heart disease, severe allergies, depression, debilitating asthma or other ailments that will compromise their health or the healthy and safety of others in the camp or the completion of research duties. _Minimum Qualifications_: Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have an education in a biological science. A Bachelor’s degree in biology or related field with previous field experience is highly recommended. Field work, employment, or life experience in very remote settings particularly in Alaska or other cold wet climate regions is preferred. The ability to work well as a team and independently, with good communication and problem-solving skills is mandatory. Ability to follow detailed verbal and written instructions and data protocols is mandatory. Working knowledge of personal computers including use of word processing, spreadsheets, and relational database programs such as Access is highly recommended. Current First Aid and CPR certification is required. Wilderness First Aid is highly recommended and candidates will be given extra consideration with this certification. _Application Deadline_: March 15, 2010 Please submit a cover letter and resume with employment history, education history, and the names and contact information (email and phone numbers) of three work related references to: Calinda "Cal" Goo Aquatic Farms, Ltd. 49-139 Kamehameha Hwy. Kaneohe, HI. 96744 (808) 239-2929 FAX: (808) 239-8436 officeafl(a)hawaii.rr.com <mailto:officeafl@hawaii.rr.com> And Kathryn Chumbley: Kathryn.Chumbley(a)noaa.gov

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Volunteers needed for Shark Bay
by Richard C. Connor 01 Mar '10

01 Mar '10

We are seeking several field assistants for The Dolphin Alliance Project in Shark Bay , Western Australia for the 2010 field season. The season will begin 1 July and will last through September but may be extended another 1-2 months. Given the time it takes to train people, you must commit for the entire time. This is a volunteer position but we cover lodging and food at the site. We will be collecting survey and focal data on alliance forming male dolphins. On windy days you will be working on data entry and photo-ID. We are seeking assistants who have prior field experience, dolphin photo-ID experience and especially familiarity with small boats. The West Australian Government now requires us to have an operator on board who has a Restricted Coxswain, radio operation certificate and current first-aid certificate. Courses may be taken in the Perth/Freemantle area before the field season. Please note, if we have one or two assistants who meet these qualifications we may be able to take two without them, so don’t be afraid to apply if you feel under-qualified. We prefer people who are easy going hard working team players as we work and live in close quarters. Please send a letter of interest, CV and email contacts for two references to both of us. Richard Connor ( rconnor(a)umassd.edu ) and Michael Krutzen (michael.kruetzen(a)aim.unizh.ch)

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Volunteers required for a humpback whale survey in Australia
by Michael Noad 28 Feb '10

28 Feb '10

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR A HUMPBACK WHALE SURVEY IN AUSTRALIA The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Lab at the University of Queensland is seeking applications from volunteers for an 8 week survey of humpback whales from May 30 to July 24 this year. The survey will be conducted at Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Is, near Brisbane. It will continue the series of surveys of the east Australian migratory population of humpbacks that commenced in the early 1980s and which is one of the longest and most consistent whale surveys in the world. This year the survey will continue the land-based count of passing whales during their northward migration to estimate relative abundance. During the peak of the migration there is likely to be approximately 60 groups of whales passing the headland daily. Individual volunteers will spend approximately five hours daily (in two shifts) counting and observing passing whales from the headland. Volunteers will get at least one day off per week, usually during bad weather. Volunteers must be sociable as the will be expected to work and live as part of a team of 10 to 20 people with shared cooking and cleaning duties. Volunteers must organise and pay for their own way to the study site (close to Brisbane international airport) but food and accommodation (beach houses) are provided once there. As meals are communal, fussy eaters are discouraged from applying (vegetarians are fine). Volunteers will need to be available either for the period 30 May to 10 July (6 weeks), or from 20 June to 24 July (5 weeks). (The middle part of the survey will include counts from two sites, hence the requirement for a larger number of volunteers.) This project will suit people with a background in science (including recent graduates and graduate students as well as higher level undergraduate students) keen to gain experience in cetacean survey techniques. Applicants should also be highly motivated and able to concentrate for several hours at a time. Those with previous survey experience, particularly of marine mammals, or a strong mathematical or modelling background with an interest in distance sampling techniques, will be preferred. Applicants should reply with an email to Michael Noad outlining why they would be suitable for this survey, why they would like to participate, and any other relevant details. The email should include an attached CV and the names and contact details of two professional referees, and should be cc-ed to Rebecca Dunlop (r.dunlop(a)uq.edu.au) We will start to offer places after March 28 although outstanding applications will continue to be accepted after this date. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Noad BVSc PhD Senior Lecturer, Veterinary Anatomy Leader, Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory School of Veterinary Science The University of Queensland - Gatton Campus, Qld 4343, Australia. P. +61 (0)7 54601876 M. 0416270567 W. http://www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/ceal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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