SEA-GOING, FIELD, AND SURVEY SUPPORT SERVICES

Ocean Associates Incorporated•Arlington, VA

7h•$25 - $40•Hybrid

About The Position

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide Sea-Going, Field, and Survey Support Services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Fishery Resource Analysis & Monitoring Division (FRAM), Fishery Engineering & Acoustic Technologies Team (FEAT) at the Newport laboratory in Newport, OR. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts. The FEAT Team is part of the Fishery Resource Analysis & Monitoring Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington with a field station in Newport, Oregon. Its biological and ecological focus contributes to fisheries management and increases understanding of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME). The Team specializes in fisheries acoustics (single frequency and broadband) and applies advanced technologies (e.g., uncrewed systems, broadband technologies, and underwater optics) to ecosystem research and fishery-independent fish stock surveys. FEAT is one of the only three groups within NOAA with this acoustic and advanced technology focus, making it unique within the NWFSC. The team is also active within the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and Technology (WGFAST). The primary survey FEAT supports is the coastwide Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (hereafter “acoustic-trawl survey”). The Pacific Hake portion of the acoustic-trawl survey is conducted under the auspices of the U.S.-Canada International Hake/Whiting Treaty. The primary objectives of the acoustic-trawl survey are to: (1) provide a West Coast-wide fishery-independent estimate of Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) age-structured biomass and distribution to stock assessors in order to manage Hake and meet the requirements of the U.S.-Canada Pacific Whiting/Hake International Agreement, and to (2) collect information on critical ecosystem components/attributes (e.g. krill, pelagic rockfish, oceanographic conditions). The acoustic-trawl survey also serves as a coast-wide platform for other core projects that lack their own dedicated survey, and as a shipboard exemplar against which the merits and capabilities of developing autonomous survey vehicles (ASV), such as Saildrones, can be measured. Technical support services are required to execute the acoustic-trawl survey, with operations centered at the NWFSC Newport Research Station. These services include the maintenance of biological sampling gear, logistical staging for the NOAA survey vessel, and the technical coordination of biological sampling operations. Additionally, this requirement provides the specialized expertise necessary to conduct at-sea training and lead standardized field sampling protocols to ensure data integrity for the survey mission.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience in fisheries (two (2) years)
Must submit specific medical information to be medically cleared to sail aboard NOAA vessels 30 days prior to cruise departure
Must submit to and pass a NOAA background check, which may take 60-90 days
Must complete (or have recently completed) marine safety training
Must hold a valid U.S. Passport

Responsibilities

Maintain the hake survey equipment before, during, and after the acoustic-trawl survey.
Prepare for the survey.
Assist with routine wet lab processing procedures for trawl catches at-sea.
Store equipment and biological samples after the survey.
Track samples collected at sea.
Transfer fixed samples for storage and analysis.
Analyze collected stomachs and enter diet information into a database.
Provide services for other FRAM surveys.
Complete trainings required by NOAA, NMFS, NWFSC, and FEAT.
Stage and de-stage from any field projects.
Participate in sea-going surveys, with sea-time up to 100 days per year and up to one month at a time.
Follow established protocols for data collection and keep detailed notes of any issues.
Operate data collection software and devices at-sea as needed.
Analyze collected stomach contents after the survey.
Organize and inventory all gear after the survey.
Contribute to final survey reports.