NOTE: We are recruiting for this position prospectively, contingent upon award of contract.

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact Ocean Associates at 703-388-9548 to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

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), Fisheries 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.

Background

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.

SCOPE

This position shall work with FEAT Newport Research Station staff members to maintain the hake survey equipment before, during, and after the acoustic-trawl survey. The applicant shall help prepare for the survey, assist with routine wet lab processing procedures for trawl catches at-sea, and help close out the survey by storing equipment and biological samples. The applicant shall also be responsible for tracking samples collected at sea, transferring fixed samples for storage and analysis, and analyzing collected stomachs and entering diet information into a database. The applicant may also be asked to provide services for other FRAM surveys. The applicant shall provide the following services throughout the period of performance and complete the following projects with guidance from FEAT staff.

Tasks and Deliverables

Work with FEAT and FRAM staff to support vital survey activities. Duties include:

• Complete trainings required by NOAA, NMFS, NWFSC, and FEAT
• Work with FEAT and FRAM staff to 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
• Work with FEAT and FRAM staff after the survey to analyze any collected stomach contents, organize and inventory all gear, and contribute to final survey reports

Start Date: To be determined upon award of contract.

Location:

• Ship-based surveys will be conducted onboard a NOAA Research Vessel or similar contract vessel. Contractors will stay aboard the vessel while underway. Prior to the start of the survey, and during in-ports, work will occur at the designated location of the in-port for that project.
• Land-based tasks will be conducted at the Newport Research Station

Travel: Travel is anticipated and authorized for this task order. Travel is required to join the survey platform at its designated port in advance of the survey’s departure and return home at the end of the survey. All staff may be required to be available at the work site for training and to assist with survey set-up prior to departure and at the end of the survey to assist with equipment inventory. Vessel port or survey site home-base location(s) for survey efforts will determine travel needs and will be discussed well in advance of the start of the survey effort.

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary, commensurate with experience, between $25.00 - $40.00 per hour.

Requirements

Applicants must have the following minimum 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