Ocean Career: Ocean Associates Inc. Fish Health Lab

Aquatic Animal Health And Disease Research Position

We are seeking applicants for this position prospectively, which is dependent on award of contract. 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.

The Environmental and Fisheries Sciences (EFS) Division performs research that addresses the influence of factors such as vaccines, dietary supplements, temperature, and contaminants on disease and predation of fish. This research addresses and supports NOAA Fisheries and NWFSC research agendas, including: presidential executive order, EO#13921 Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth;
National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research's Objective 3.1 to "Develop strategies to protect the health and well-being of aquaculture species"; and NWFSC's 5–10 Year Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Science's recommendation to support finfish aquaculture and bolster aquatic animal disease research and expertise.

The development of finfish aquaculture relies on the rearing of healthy fish. Disease occurs during commercial culture, wasting valuable time, resources, and products. Disease management issues will only increase as global temperatures and demand for aquaculture products increase. The EFS Division conducts research in the areas of aquatic animal health and disease in order to assess and minimize the impact of diseases on both important cultured and wild species.

These areas of research are important to the Center's research programs with finfish and shellfish aquaculture as well as characterizing disease interactions between and among both wild and cultured species. Disease of aquatic species can severely impact the health of both cultured and wild aquatic species at various life stages.

Conduct both basic and applied research in the areas of aquatic animal health and disease in order to assess the impact of stressors and mitigating treatments on both cultured and wild aquatic species. These topics are important to the Center's various aquaculture research involving finfish and shellfish, as well as to characterizing environmental interactions between, and among, wild and cultured aquatic species.

The employee will perform the following key tasks:

Task 1 Husbandry of multiple aquatic species

• The employee shall perform husbandry for aquatic species (e.g., salmon, sablefish) reared and held at the laboratory facility. Required husbandry practices shall include cleaning tanks and troughs, changing filters, feeding aquatic species, moving and distributing aquatic species, monitoring growth of aquatic species and adjusting feeds and densities as needed, measuring water quality parameters, monitoring and maintaining system processes (e.g., heaters, chillers, pumps, filters) in order to produce healthy finfish and shellfish.

Task 2 Laboratory organization and operation

• Properly organize the laboratories, noting when supplies and resources need re-stocking, and maintaining needed safety and chemical hygiene practices.
• The employee shall maintain and organize laboratories, which includes having labs: with properly maintained and operational laboratory equipment; in compliance with the Center's safe chemical hygiene practices, updated online chemical database, and properly labeled chemicals; and with personnel and equipment adhering to laboratory safety practices. The employee will assist property manager and purchasing agent with laboratory and office property inventory, and consumables requests in order to maintain NOAA property records and ensure that labs are stocked with general and assay-specific consumable supplies.

Task 3 Pathogen challenge

• The employee shall participate in determining and analyzing pathogen challenges of fish, which includes culturing pathogens of fish/shellfish in agar and broth media, characterizing the pathogen using a variety of techniques…