Ocean Career: Mote Biologist – Coral Gene Bank

Coral Care Specialist

Oversee daily care and maintenance of corals and their raceway habitats. Ensure that corals are appropriately propagated asexually for redundancy of the genetic diversity within the infrastructure. Represent Mote's Gene Bank on working groups and within meetings. Liaise between collaborative institutions for knowledge exchange and collaborative projects. Assist with restoration and/or research objectives involving the sexual propagation of corals and corals within Mote's International Coral Gene Bank.

General coral husbandry tasks on any corals within the Gene Bank include siphoning and cleaning raceways, employing algal mitigation strategies, maintaining grazing organisms, administering Lugol treatments, providing appropriate lighting schemes, conduct/oversee onsite water chemistry analyses, feeding coral recruits, building settlement racks, maintain communication with the restoration team for transport of corals to the gene bank in case of unfavorable weather.

Conduct coral separation and re-mounting to new substrates. Conduct optimization of labelling schemes and record keeping. Ensure a safe, clean, organized indoor wetlab space. Assist with taking coral samples for genetic and research purposes. Conduct data collection, entry and analysis associated with research. Conduct microfragmentation when necessary. Assist with macro/micrograph and fluorescence imaging. Mentor interns. Maintain an organized nursery and inventory of corals.

Manage deliverables associated with specific funding efforts. Manage daily operations of ex situ spawning systems. Manage daily operations of the coral quarantine area. Additional duties will include assisting with various tasks related to the daily operation of a full-service marine laboratory, assist with field and lab support as needed, tours, and assist with outreach and education activities as needed.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Extensive knowledge of the corals found within the Florida Reef Tract. Extensive knowledge of coral husbandry and rearing within closed aquaria systems. Lift heavy objects or equipment up to 50 lbs occasionally. Working knowledge of computer software (Windows, Microsoft Office). Normal hours are 8:00-5:00 five days a week, which will include weekend hours, additional hours may be required especially during spawning season and sometimes during ongoing experiments.

Minimum Qualifications or Requirements: BSc degree in the marine or biological sciences from an accredited college or university. Previous research diving experience. Experience working with corals and aquaria systems. SCUBA certification of Open Water. Valid license to drive in the State of Florida.