Biology Member, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one Biology Support Member to contribute to a Nihoa Finch Translocation monitoring project under the mentorship of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

May 18, 2026

November 28, 2026

* a 28 week minimum commitment is required, approximately 1120 hours*

Honolulu, HI, Kapou (Lisianski Island) and Nihoa.
* 3.5 months will be spent on Kapou living in a remote field camp. 3 months will be spent in Honolulu before and after time on Kapou. Kapou is part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge which is part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Kapou (Lisianski) is an almond‑shaped island rising to 40 ft above sea level within the much‑larger Neva Shoals reef.

The 3rd largest island in the Monument hosts large bonin petrel and ʻewaʻewa (sooty tern) colonies. The island also has the only grove of Pisonia grandis trees in the entire Hawaiian Archipelago. Kapou serves as critical pupping grounds for the United States' most endangered marine mammal, the Hawaiian monk seal.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS meet that mission at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. This position will support the Palihoa (Nihoa Finch) translocation from Nihoa to Kapou (Lisianski). We are looking for someone with strong people skills and an ability to live and work with others of different backgrounds in a remote setting.

Work will usually be 40 hours a week, mostly Monday‑Friday (7 am to 4 pm) unless weather necessitates a check on birds during the weekend.

This position would primarily support monitoring of the Nihoa Finch at Kapou (Lisianski). The individual would monitor the released Nihoa finches on Kapou using radio telemetry and provide weekly reports of behavior, dispersal and health of the newly formed population. The position would also support other biological duties at Kapou including invasive species management, habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring.

• Being transported over 900 miles in a large vessel over open ocean that will drop you off on an island and will return to pick you up 3.5 months later. You will be required to pack all the food, water and supplies needed for the 3.5 month remote field camp (food and supplies provided by USFWS). Living in a small research camp with one other person for 3.5 months.
  
  Monitoring released finches using radio telemetry and resighting finches with binoculars and/or scopes.
• Ability to collect observational data and visually identify marked individuals (finches, seals, turtles, seabirds) with binoculars and unaided.
• Entering data and running data quality checks.
• Maintaining equipment (camp gear, binoculars, GPS, radio telemetry).
• Weekly report writing and completing a final season report. Communicate daily with staff.
• This job requires several fitness skills. The ability to swim, for example. Personnel will bathe in the ocean. Additionally, the ability to walk up to seven miles in the sand carrying twenty‑five to thirty‑five (25‑35) pounds of field gear as well as the ability to work long hours in the sun and at remote locations for extended periods of time.
• Camping on a remote island is required for the months of July through October.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

The position will commonly work 40 hours a week, mostly on a Monday‑Friday (7 am to 4 pm) schedule unless weather affects surveys during the week and the birds need to be checked on during the weekend. Days/hours will vary throughout the position depending…