Fish Ecology Technician Position – University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute

DESCRIPTION: The Erisman (http://sites.utexas.edu/fisheries/) and Yeager (https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/yeagerlab) labs at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) are looking for a joint technician to begin January 2017. Research in the Erisman and Yeager labs spans topics in marine fisheries ecology, fisheries management, coastal food web ecology, and landscape ecology. UTMSI is located in Port Aransas, which is on the Texas Gulf coast near Corpus Christi. A wide variety of environments is readily accessible from UTMSI, such as the pass connecting Corpus Christi Bay with the Gulf of Mexico, the continental shelf, and many bays and estuaries, including brackish estuaries and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. UTMSI also manages the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, which at 185,708 acres is the third largest estuarine reserve in the nation. Extensive wet laboratory facilities with running seawater are available for maintaining marine organisms.

DUTIES: Key duties for this position will include field work from small boats in estuarine habitats, fish sampling with a variety of gears, deployment of data loggers in the field, hydroacoustic and ROV surveys in estuaries and offshore reefs, construction of artificial seagrass units, equipment upkeep and purchasing, data entry/data management, fish dissection, otolith preparations for age analyses, and tissue preparation for gonadal histology and stable isotope analysis. The technician will also assist the PIs on routine tasks associated with lab management. Opportunities to develop field and laboratory skills will be readily available. The technician will also be encouraged to pursue opportunities for intellectual development via attending public lectures/seminars and aiding other technicians/students at UTMSI and thereby sampling diverse research topics.

START DATE: January 15th, 2017 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

DURATION: We anticipate this will be a 12-month position with possibility for extension contingent on satisfactory performance and available funding.

MONTHLY SALARY: $2,253+ depending on qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: A BS/BA or MS degree in biology, zoology, ecology/evolution, environmental science, marine science, or mathematics is expected. Interest in a career in marine ecology, fisheries ecology, or the ocean sciences will be favorably considered. Willingness to work from boats and in estuarine waters for long hours and strong communication and organizational skills are required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Previous field work experience, ability to operate small boats, familiarity with fishes of the Gulf of Mexico and estuarine ecology, experience with fish dissections, experience with data entry/management and QA/QC procedures.

APPLICATION: Interested candidates should submit an application through UT at: