Marine Mammal Tech II

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Full Time

12 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $20.09 To $21.15 Annually

MAKAH TRIBE

POSITION DESCRIPTION

TARGET SALARY: $20.09 to $21.15/DOQ SHIFT: 32 hr/week

PROGRAM:
Fisheries Management

LOCATION:

Bldg. 180

SUMMARY: This position assists the Marine Mammal Biologist with marine mammal surveys, salmon research, stranding response, data analysis, and writing reports and manuscripts. This position will also assist the Biometrician with research efforts at Lake Ozette on sockeye salmon. Assistance is provided through helping in the field, data entry in the office, responding to calls on stranded marine mammals, and assessing data.

The primary projects the Technician II will assist with are
1) monitoring gray whales and other marine mammals,
2) testing and developing a methodology to determine if photographed gray whales are a calf or not,
3) assisting with assessment of what factors most strongly influence observations of gray whale ship strikes and entanglements in US west coast waters from , 4} assisting with tagging Chinook salmon, and
5) capture, tagging, and monitoring of Lake Ozette sockeye salmon.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:

Because of the Tribe’s commitment to community service and the well-being of its members, each employee may be expected to perform a wide range of office and field duties from time to time. Such duties may or may not be related to their regular responsibilities.

Accurately record field notes on datasheets and transfer data into Access database. Maintain databases and enter data from research surveys and stranding responses. Maintain field gear used during marine mammal surveys.

Assist with marine mammal surveys with a focus on gray whales. Marine mammal surveys are conducted from a small, open vessel in all months of the year. Technician II will have to photograph whales; scan sea lion haul outs for branded, tagged, and injured individuals; jump from the research vessel onto sea loin haul outs to collect scat (feces) samples; conduct prey tows for gray whale prey;

and assist with recording data.

During 2025, the Marine Mammal Program will be coordinating efforts to have two blitzes of survey efforts of PCFG whales across their range. The Technician II will be responsible for data management for the project and assisting with coordination of efforts.

Work with collaborators at Oregon State University and Cascadia Research Collective to test and develop a methodology to determine if a photographed gray whale is a calf or not. The goal is to prepare a report for the IWC’s Scientific Committee and a published peer-reviewed manuscript.

Assist with an assessment of what factors most strongly influence the observed rates of ship strikes and entanglements in US west coast waters from . The goal is to publish this study in a peer-reviewed journal.

Assist with studies of the winter ecology of chinook and coho salmon. The technician II will be required with assisting with fishing for salmon using other commercial and recreational trolling techniques. The technician II will assist with measuring, identifying, and collecting fin clips and scale samples from caught salmon. The technician II will also help with tagging salmon that are suitable size and condition with pop up satellite archival tags.

Assist with studies of Lake Ozette sockeye salmon. This will primarily involve the development and retrieval of acoustic tag receivers from set positions within Lake Ozette and the capture and tagging of returning adult sockeye salmon. The technician II will also help with other research and restoration activities at the lake on an on-call basis.

Respond to live and dead stranded marine mammals on the Makah Reservation. This will include monitoring the Makah Stranding Network phone line and will require response at all hours and on weekends. Technician II will also maintain the field gear for stranding response. The Technician II will assist with necropsies of dead marine mammals in fresh…