Otolith Laboratory Biologist - Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 - Permanent - 2026-08568

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

WDFW’s Fish Ageing and Otolith Laboratories provide critical age and origin data to WDFW Fish Management and Hatchery Divisions, tribal co-managers, and federal fisheries managers to be used in forecasting, run reconstruction, stock assessment, and scientific research. With your expertise in the preparation and processing of calcified structures, you will conduct research and report on biological studies of Pacific Salmon and other marine, anadromous, and freshwater fishes. Your work as part of the Otolith Laboratory Team will directly support efforts to meet resource and economic needs for the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, including programs focused on recovering Endangered Species Act (ESA) sensitive stocks.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree in fisheries, biology, natural resource science, environmental science, or a related field.
Three (3) years of professional experience in fish research or management.
Two (2) years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2.
One (1) year of experience with processing or analyzing calcified structures.
One (1) year of experience producing high-quality otolith sections, including preparing and analyzing otoliths for thermal mark interrogations, microstructure, and/or microchemistry analysis.
One (1) year of experience reading and interpreting multiple band otolith patterns, including reading/evaluating calcified structures for age estimation or thermal mark patterns.
Ability to accurately perform repetitive motions utilizing fine motor skills for long periods of time.
Ability to prepare 20-40 otolith thin sections and 50-100 otolith half sections daily.
Ability to read 100-300 otolith samples daily.
Knowledge of Pacific salmon life history and growth.
Valid Driver’s License.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant biological science.
Authorship or co-authorship of one (1) or more peer-reviewed publications.
Experience processing and analyzing data obtained from otoliths or other calcified structures.
Experience applying current fish ageing research methods.
Experience enumerating daily growth increments in otoliths.
Experience with otolith thermal mark identification.
Experience with, or knowledge of, Pacific Northwest fish biology and ecology, including life history and population dynamics.
Experience managing multiple complex projects with competing deadlines, producing accurate and timely work.
Experience analyzing data to evaluate issues, assess options, draw conclusions, and support decision-making.
Experience defining research questions, identifying data needs, and designing independent experiments.

Responsibilities

Prepare high-quality, half-sectioned and thin-sectioned otolith samples.
Use lapping wheels for grinding and polishing.
Communicate effectively with lab team members and supervisor to ensure accuracy and meet project deadlines.
Independently observe otoliths using compound and dissecting microscopes to identify and decode thermal marks.
Accurately records thermal mark information into database.
Review and plan distinctive thermal mark patterns aligned with hatchery requests.
Develop thermal marking schedules.
Coordinate, adapt, and communicate hatchery thermal marking schedules to achieve intended thermal marks.
Prepare high-quality samples from otoliths and other calcified structures for microstructural and microchemical analyses using low-speed saws and lapping wheels.
Use image analysis software and microscopes to measure and count daily increments in otoliths to evaluate environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic influences on growth during early life history.
Evaluate and summarize results of daily growth estimates, accuracy and precision of estimates, size-at-marine entry, and other relevant parameters.
Perform statistical analysis and interpretation of data.
Prepare reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at conferences and other meetings.
Assist hatchery and lab staff with artificially spawning and cross-fertilizing salmonid gametes.
Travel to study sites to assist with or lead collection efforts for biological samples.