JOB OPENING
Research Technician
Gulf Coast Research Lab
The University of Southern Mississippi
Ocean Springs, MS
We seek a Research Technician to begin employment February 1, 2018 at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, MS. The selected applicant will be co-supervised by Dr. Kelly M. Darnell and Dr. Zachary Darnell.
The primary duties of the Research Technician will be associated with a recently funded project “Gulf- Wide Assessment of Habitat Use and Habitat-Specific Production Estimates of Nekton in Turtlegrass.” The overarching goal of this project is to conduct a management-driven, Gulf of Mexico-wide assessment of the use of turtlegrass as habitat by nekton and to evaluate the support provided to blue crabs, a commercially valuable species, using habitat-specific production estimates.
This is a collaborative project with researchers at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the University of Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The technician will work closely with personnel from these institutions.
Job duties include (but are not limited to): conducting epibenthic sled and trawl sampling of nekton in seagrass beds; preparation and setup of field experiments to assess blue crab growth and mortality; fish and macroinvertebrate identification; laboratory processing of vegetation, nekton, and benthic core samples; data entry and QA/QC; assisting with data analyses, assisting with manuscript preparation and outreach efforts; and operating small boats in support of field research efforts.
Required qualifications:
-B.S. or M.S. degree in marine biology, ecology, biology, or a related field -Previous research experience
-Valid driver’s license
Preferred qualifications:
-Experience working in seagrass beds
-Experience with juvenile and adult fish identification -Experience with GIS
-Ability to operate small, outboard-powered boats
This position includes a salary of $30,000 per year and full benefits. The term of the position is 28 months (February 1, 2018–May 31, 2020), with the possibility for extension beyond this term if additional funding is available.
To apply, please send a cover letter, CV, and list of three references to kelly.darnell@usm.edu. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2017 and continue until the position is filled.