Ocean Career: Marine Biotoxin Monitoring and Modelling Specialist at AIS

Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Specialist

AIS is looking for a Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Specialist to support NOAA's Environmental and Fisheries Science (EFS) Division.

Research activities within the EFS division include monitoring the presence of environmental biotoxins in food webs and exposure risks to marine wildlife, ecosystems, and fisheries, enhancing seafood safety by developing improved detection methods for biotoxins and other environmental contaminants, and developing models for exposure risk and health impacts. These activities primarily support NOAA Fisheries objectives for Protected Resources, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Fisheries Ecosystem-based Management, and for advancement of Science and Technology.

Task 1:
Develop Coupled Biological and Physical Models for trophic transfer of algal toxins in food webs

• Use environmental data (physical ocean conditions, algal cell densities and toxicity, toxin concentrations in multiple layers of the food web (zooplankton, clams, worms, fish) and behavioral and health data for marine mammals collected over five years in Arctic and subarctic regions to develop toxin – trophic transfer models for toxin accumulation, biotransformation, and adverse health impacts in specific food webs under multiple bloom scenarios and for prediction of future animal mortality events.
  
  The model developed will be coupled with a physical oceanographic model in collaboration with physical scientists at other institutions.

Task 2:
Sample Collection & Analyses

• Execute tissue and environmental sample collection, both in the lab and in the field including on multiple research cruises (up to 2 cruises per year);
• Conduct analysis and quantification of biotoxins after training on HPLC and ELISA methods for algal toxin quantification.
• Collaborate with NOAA/project personnel for sample collection, shipment, sample login and packing for cruises.
• Process and prepare samples for analyses.
• Record metadata and individual sample data and maintain/update master data spreadsheets on a weekly basis.

Task 3:
Record Data & Assay Results

• Perform data entry into prescribed databases, appropriate data quality checking, documentation of location & accessibility of data & assay results to project lead & shall assist in preparation of reports & manuscripts on a weekly basis.

Task 4:
Maintain and Organize Laboratory

• Monitor laboratory supply levels & notify the project lead when supplies need to be ordered.
• Maintain lab equipment to working order; maintain safe chemical hygiene practices; & adhere to laboratory safe practices.

• Bachelor's degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study as related to the requirements of specific task order with emphasis in quantitative science, biological and physical modeling, trophic transfer of toxins in food webs, oceanography, and ecosystem function.
• Master's Degree in a related field or Ph.D. may be substituted for experience.
• Four (4) years of experience in related field or combination of such totaling eight (8) years combined education/experience.
• Demonstrated ability to develop quantitative biological models for movement of compounds through food webs (i.e. an understanding of; uptake and depuration of toxins in living organisms, ecosystem trophic levels and function, and programming of mathematical formulas for model development).
• Demonstrated experience working with large long term data sets including but not limited to biological data, oceanographic data, and climate and environmental conditions data.
• Demonstrated ability to generate pictorial figures and GIS maps.
• Demonstrated experience using existing models and software such as Ecopath with Ecosim and Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS).
• At least 3 years of experience in model development with a documented product such as authorship of a peer-reviewed publication, report, and/or master's or PhD thesis.
• Demonstrated ability to give oral presentations such as conference presentations (oral and/or poster) or other public presentations.
• At least two (2) years of laboratory experience.
• Must…