The Sea Watch Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research, conservation, and public education is seeking applications for the following:

RESEARCH ASSISTANT/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR IN CARDIGAN BAY 2011

This position is responsible for assisting the Monitoring Officer in the running of the “Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project” and coordinating the project volunteers. The project is based in New Quay, West Wales, and takes care of the conservation management of the bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and grey seal populations of Cardigan Bay, monitoring their abundance, distribution, reproductive success and population structure using a combination of line-transect, photo-identification, land-based and acoustic surveys.

Start Date: April 11th 2011      End Date: October 17th 2011

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Coordinate between the Monitoring Officer/Sightings Officer and the project volunteers – in charge of the volunteer house and the volunteer weekly office rota.
• Assisting the Monitoring Officer/Sightings Officer in volunteer basic training of land- and boat based surveys, photo ID studies, Database entry and more.
• Assisting the Monitoring Officer in all phases of the research.
• Undertaking a personal research project supervised by the Monitoring Officer – research topic will be chosen according to Sea Watch Foundation requirements and applicants’ interests.

Requirements:

The successful applicant is expected to have a BSc degree (or more) in biology, marine biology, zoology, chemistry, or related field and able to demonstrate previous experience in marine mammal research. A strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans and boating experience are beneficial.

The applicant must be proficient with database and word processing software and be willing to learn new software applications. Specific experience in Access and/or GIS would be advantageous. 

The preferred candidate should have a proven track record as a team player as the project will involve working closely with other researchers but also be able to supervise small groups of people as they will be coordinating at least 6 volunteers. They must also be self-motivated with the drive and determination to work independently and responsibly. This post brings the opportunity to submit work for scientific publication.

This position is unpaid but accommodation expenses will be covered. 

The Sea Watch Foundation

The Sea Watch Foundation is a registered marine environmental research charity that aims to achieve better conservation of whales and dolphins in the seas around Britain and Ireland, by involving the public in scientific monitoring of populations and the threats they face. At Sea Watch Wales, we are dedicated to raising awareness, knowledge and conservation of the marine wildlife of West Wales. Our work is funded by the Countryside Council for Wales, Defra, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and we work closely with the local management authority, Ceredigion County Council.

Research

The purpose of our research here is to monitor the marine mammal populations inhabiting Cardigan Bay, so as to gain information to aid the conservation and long-term well being of these animals and the local marine environment. This is achieved by conducting various projects including:

• Estimating the abundance and distribution of bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises and grey seals within Cardigan Bay using distance sampling and opportunistic boat surveys
• Maintaining and updating a catalogue of photographically identified bottlenose dolphins in Wales in order to study their abundance, social structure, movements and life histories.
• Acoustic monitoring of bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises in the Cardigan Bay SAC using automated click detectors (T-PODs) and hydrophones.
• Setting up a library of underwater sounds in Welsh waters in order to develop bio-acoustic research in the area.

We further aim to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the local marine wildlife and the habitats supporting them, to encourage respect and conservation of the area and its wildlife for future generations. We also run training courses for the public in cetacean identification and survey methods.