RESEARCH ASSISTANT WANTED

To Work With Save The Bay’s Eelgrass Restoration Team

 

 

Position Description:  Save The Bay seeks a highly motivated, hard working individual to assist with field research involved with eelgrass restoration throughout Narragansett Bay.  Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a flowering marine plant, which grows in shallow bay areas.  During the past 70 years, Narragansett Bay’s eelgrass populations have been in decline because of nutrient pollution, disease and hurricane damage.  Eelgrass has many functions: it is a primary source of food for many plants and animals in Narragansett Bay, a critical nursery and shelter for shellfish and finfish, it acts as a filter of pollutants, plays a key role in nutrient cycling, and acts as a guard against shoreline erosion by dampening wave energy.  Save The Bay is working towards the restoration of this vital habitat. 

 

Responsibilities: 

¨      Conduct fieldwork involved in restoring eelgrass habitat including:  SCUBA, small

boat operation, harvesting eelgrass from natural donor beds, transplanting eelgrass to sites throughout the Bay, measuring eelgrass shoot densities, assisting in monitoring projects, and assessing overall health of the eelgrass transplants

¨      Take a leadership position with volunteers and summer research opportunities

¨      Assist in tracking water quality at all restoration sites on the Bay

¨      Conduct data entry and assist with data analysis

¨      Assist in video and photographic documentation of research activities and

     transplant success

 

Qualifications:

¨      SCUBA certification and experience

¨      Ability to withstand long days working in the field, often underwater

for extended periods of time, and in varying weather conditions

¨      Computer Experience (MS Office, database-spreadsheet)

¨      Undergraduate course work in ecology, marine biology, botany,

or equivalent experience

¨      A demonstrated commitment to ecological restoration

¨      A positive attitude and ability to work in a team environment

¨      Ability to have fun while working in the field!!

 

Commitment:  30-35 hours per week from mid May through August, 2005

 

Salary:  $12 per hour, housing not included

 

Interested?  Contact Sue Tuxbury, Save the Bay:  e-mail stuxbury@savebay.org, or call (401) 272-3540 ext. 117

For more information about Save The Bay visit http://www.savebay.org