Company : Lynker Corporation
Country: United States
Location : Seattle, Washington
Post: Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:41:06 GMT
Expires: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 23:59:59 GMT
Apply Job : Apply Online
—————————— Job Description ——————————
Lynker Corporation is seeking to hire a Shellfish Aquaculture Research Specialist to support a contract with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC). This is a full-time position and is anticipated to begin on September 1, 2023. Work for this position will be on site at the NWFSC in Seattle, WA. Hiring for this position is contingent upon contract award.
The NWFSC conducts leading-edge research and analyses that provide the foundation for management decisions to protect, recover, restore, and sustain ecosystems and living marine resources in the Pacific Northwest and California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. The NWFSC employs a diverse staff that includes scientific specialists as well as the staff to support scientific operations.
A priority in Puget Sound is the conservation of nearshore habitat, including wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, estuaries, and tidal zones that make up some of the most valuable habitat for the region’s salmon and steelhead and overlap in some places with shellfish farming. Unfortunately, much of nearshore habitat in Puget Sound is lost or degraded, with more than 90 percent of tidal wetlands lost to development. That leaves salmon without essential nursery habitat they need to feed and grow strong to boost their later survival in the open ocean. This is especially concerning for Puget Sound Chinook salmon, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This position will support the evaluation of the effects of shellfish aquaculture on nearshore habitat as it relates to ESA-listed species in the Puget Sound.
Duties for this position will include:
Literature review and learning the Conservation Calculator.
Compiling and conducting an assessment of relevant literature to inform ecosystem effects of shellfish aquaculture.
Assessing relevance to shellfish aquaculture in the US portions of the Salish Sea including all five marine basins delineated as service areas for use with the Nearshore Conservation Calculator, which is used to determine how much restoration is needed to offset the impacts of nearshore development by determining changes in habitat value in a common currency that represents habitat impacts as debits, and habitat improvements as credits.
Synthesizing and communicating findings to scientific, management and industry audiences.
Investing in in-depth learning of the nearshore calculator and Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act, including how the calculator works, the underlying literature, data inputs, analytical approach and how it is applied to aquaculture projects.
When possible, conduct site visits to regional shellfish farms to gain an understanding of aquaculture practices.
Participating in field visits.
Take photos of gear and growing practices at each site, pending permission of the grower.
When possible, join research teams in the field to promote awareness of ongoing research applications.
Evaluating the Effects of Aquaculture.
Using results from above tasks, evaluate how benefits/impacts from different aquaculture techniques affect Physical and Biological Features (PBFs) for salmon based on best available science.
Evaluate if these benefits/impacts are generally included in the indicator effect pathways outlined in Ehinger et al 2023.
Amend the indicator effect pathways description as appropriate for aquaculture.
Detail if any relevant indicator effect pathways may not be included and how they could be added in an update.
Evaluate Feasibility of Aquaculture in the Conservation Calculator.
For aquaculture techniques for which the most relevant indicator effect pathways are considered in the Nearshore Calculator, evaluate if current tabs allow for appropriate quantification of impacts.
For those applications, develop demonstration examples of how shellfish aquaculture activities that require federal permitting may be addressed by the Nearshore Calculator.
Demonstrated growing methods shall include shellfish on-bottom culture, flip bag culture, long-line culture, geoduck culture and co-culture with seaweed and infrastructure associated with shellfish culture, such as buoys, nearshore hardening/boat launches, etc.
Draft Recommendations.
Based on the above, develop proposed additions/adjustments to the calculator for shellfish projects. Present draft recommendations for feedback from applicable Northwest Fisheries Science Center and West Coast Region of Fisheries staff.
Develop Guidance.
Develop instructions to NOAA Fisheries Staff regarding how these adjustments to the calculator can be incorporated for use by NOAA staff, tribes, the public and other stakeholders.
Communicate Results.
Share results, conclusions, guidance with interested and relevant audiences, including relevant conferences and meetings. In collaboration with NOAA staff, provide an overview of findings for regional aquaculture and marine habitat teams, tribes, the public and other stakeholders. Develop a synthesis manuscript for publication in a peer reviewed journal that includes the literature review findings and relevant results regarding how this information might be used to inform management tools and calculators.
Occasional regional travel to present research and meet with collaborators and attend site visits.
Requirements
Minimum required qualifications include:
At least four years of academic research experience focused on fish populations, shellfish, submerged aquatic vegetation and/or nearshore habitat data.
Experience working in estuary or nearshore habitats on the west coast
Experience with shellfish aquaculture practices and submerged aquatic vegetation (eelgrass and/or kelp)
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Familiarity with R or ArcGIS, modeling and data analysis, and experience writing and publishing peer reviewed articles.
Familiarity with approaches and tools used by managers to value habitats
Working with diverse interdisciplinary teams
Current MS Office Skills
Valid Driver’s license
The selected candidate for this position will work up to 40 hours per week with occasional travel to NMFS offices in Olympia and Lacey, WA as well as regional conferences (up to 4). We request that you include a cover letter with your application. Please either include your cover letter in the same file as your resume, underneath of your resume; OR once you have applied by Creating/Using an Account with Lynker, you may upload a cover letter within your user profile.
About Lynker
Lynker is a growing, employee owned, small business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.
We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers’ scientific and technical priorities creatively and effectively.
Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled and diverse professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker’s benefits include the following:
Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) we’re all company owners!
Flexible spending accounts
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Short- and long-term disability insurance
Life and accident insurance
Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
Employee Referral Program
Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
Personalized career growth plans for every employee
Lynker is an E-Verify employer.
Lynker is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.