Puget Sound Shellfish Technician - Scientific Technician - Career Seasonal

Title: Puget Sound Shellfish Technician

Classification: Scientific Technician 2

Job Status: Full‑Time/Career Seasonal

Season Length: April 1 – September 30

Program: Puget Sound Shellfish Program

Duty Station: Port Townsend, Washington – Jefferson County

Team WDFW!

Photo Caption:
Olympia Oyster Bed – Photo Credit: WDFW

Play a key role in the collection of shellfish harvest and population data critical to the management of Puget Sound’s shellfish resources.

As part of the Puget Sound Shellfish Program, participate in intertidal bivalve population surveys, crustacean test fisheries, and bivalve shellfish enhancement projects across the Puget Sound.

Support shellfish management by conducting recreational intertidal and crustacean shellfish and squid creel surveys with a focus on intertidal fisheries.

Conduct intertidal and crustacean harvest assessment surveys, including performing creel and effort surveys for harvest data collected to support and advise recreational intertidal bivalve, squid, crab, shrimp, and seaweed management:

• Interview recreational fishery participants at assigned access points.
• Properly implement interview procedures and sampling protocols, and accurately record data on appropriate electronic or paper forms.
• Collect data designed to evaluate recreational harvest, including identifying species, counting, measuring, and weighing harvested bivalves, shrimp, crab, squid, and seaweed.
• Professional interaction with the public, including conducting outreach and education through fisher interviews.
• Conduct harvester effort sampling to quantify daily shellfish harvester intensity through ingress/egress surveys.
• Liaison to supervisor on fishery violations observed in the field.

Participate in intertidal bivalve population surveys, crustacean test fisheries, and bivalve shellfish enhancement projects:

• Locate sample points established by a lead surveyor and employ pre‑determined sampling strategy, including digging and sorting through beach sediment to find target bivalve shellfish and counting and measuring oysters using calipers.
• Assist with pre‑ and post‑survey organization and completion, including processing samples and performing routine maintenance on survey equipment.
• Spread clam seed and oyster cultch on public beaches to enhance recreational shellfish opportunity and support native oyster restoration.

Office and lab work, data entry, data review, and summary, including upload and maintenance of complete datasets:

• Conduct data entry and error checks on bivalve harvester datasets related to creel and effort surveys in ArcGIS, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Excel.
• In a lab setting, identify intertidal bivalve species and measure length and weight using an electronic caliper and scale interfaced with WDFW‑developed software for recording and organizing data records.

Work Setting, including hazards:

• Work occurs in both an office environment and in the field, including in inclement weather.
• Fieldwork is conducted at public beaches, dockside, at access sites, and aboard various vessels in marine waters, including a 38‑foot WDFW research vessel and smaller boats (such as small outboard motorboats, inflatable rafts, and 24‑to‑34‑foot agency vessels). Boat‑board work is conducted in all waters of Puget Sound and the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca.
• Perform strenuous land‑based field activities. Occasionally carry heavy loads such as baskets of clams and commercial crab pots (weighing up to 50 pounds) over rough terrain, slippery rocks, mud, and steep banks. Occasionally lift field equipment such as shovels and coolers (weighing up to 10 pounds) overhead and manipulate equipment. Dig holes in rough terrain and perform extended stoop labor (up to 4 hours per day).
• This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Full‑time, 40 hours per week. The standard work schedule requires flexibility; may be assigned work hours at any time within a 24‑hour period. Typically, work 8‑10 hours per day between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Work shifts are not fixed and may vary based…