Fisheries Technician - Juvenile Salmon Survival

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is seeking a few highly motivated individuals to assist the U.S. Geological Survey as a Fisheries Technician at the Western Fisheries Research Center in Clarkston, WA.

This will involve field work in boats on large rivers and reservoirs around the region and on foot. This research is related to a growth and survival study of juvenile fall Chinook salmon as well as GBT (gas bubble trauma) monitoring.

The incumbent will assist in the daily field work activities which consists of seining and electrofishing. The incumbent will assist with PIT (passive integrated transponder) tagging of juvenile fall Chinook salmon, as well as examining resident fish under a microscope for signs of GBT. The incumbent will assist in spawning ground surveys and carcass sampling.

The incumbent will assist in the collection of samples for laboratory analysis. Laboratory analysis will consist of zooplankton identification and quantification etc. The incumbent will also assist in the removal of fish organs to be analyzed at a later date.

Included in this band are skilled technician positions. Some functions performed by employees can be identical to those performed by fishery biologists at the entry-level or advanced entry-level. The distinction in titling is intent. Positions in this group and pay band are not intended to lead to higher level, professional Fishery Biologist 2 positions.

(The functions listed below are characteristic of the type and level of work associated with this group and pay band. They are not all-inclusive. Individual positions may perform some or all, as well as other similar work.)

• Lead and participate in survey crews that conduct fishery presence/absence research, recreational/commercial fishing surveys, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, fin clips or tags, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens.
• Lead and participate in crews engaged in captive fish rearing activities including spawning, incubating, feeding, sampling, sorting, handling, medicating, anesthetizing, and transporting fish. Crew may also monitor the status of facility systems and equipment, fabricate, construct, and maintain systems. Gather research data and organize information from fish samples or experimental projects.
• Lead crew in regular facility inspections including, for example, dewatering equipment, pumps, flumes, gates, tanks, screens, filters, gatewells, and/or tag interrogation equipment. Crew may also monitor and maintain water quality levels. Record findings and adjustments made. Provide input for facility improvements. Respond appropriately and immediately to emergencies.
• Lead crew in watershed and stream assessments and habitat surveys. May include stream habitat inventories (channel typing, habitat typing, woody debris, etc.), road inventories, and riparian inventories.
• Develop and install components of naturalistic environments. Assist with analysis of the behavior of different species in simulated environments. Videotape, photograph, and record data for characteristics such as growth, health, fitness, social activity, reproductive success, foraging success, and anti‑predator behavior.
• Update database by entering, checking, and/or editing biological or habitat data that has been inputted on field forms, electronic data loggers, and/or desktop computers. Maintain, organize and provide access to databases. Write memoranda and short reports for transfer of data. Produce summaries including corrections. Produce presentation quality tables and graphs of data.
• Assist pathologists with routine diagnoses of fish mortalities including necropsy and sampling for pathogens.
• Perform precision ageing of two to four different species of fish in a laboratory setting. Record age and growth data in the appropriate format; summarize and input data. Collect and organize biological samples and collections. Document ageing problems,…