Field Party Chief & Component Lead II — Mesophotic Deep Benthic Communities Survey

*Position is Subject to Contract Award

*Onsite Position in SEFSC Laboratory or at Sea in Panama City, FL

SEFSC-PEMD personnel are critical collaborators in restoration work responding to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, surveying mesophotic and deep benthic reef communities (50–1,800 m) via ROV/AUV platforms, acoustic mapping, and ground-truthing. This role serves as Field Party Chief and Survey Watch Stander for MDBC surveys and participates in other PEMD resource surveys as requested.

Task #1 - Survey Duties

• Assisting MDBC Project Management Leads with survey preparation, execution, and completion, including schedules, supply/equipment coordination, and selection of survey vehicles (e.g., AUV).
• Writing cruise instructions and reports on time; following through on participant clearance paperwork.
• Knowledgeable in MDBC data-collection SOPs; executing at-sea mapping and ground-truthing missions as Field Party Chief or Watch Leader.
• Pre- and post-survey inventory and maintenance of equipment and gear.
• Coordinating daily vessel activities, personnel, vessel position/movements, ports of call, and weather/sea conditions.
• Conducting data collection and sampling per prescribed MDBC SOP.
• Reporting weekly progress (or issues requiring plan changes) to MDBC Project Leads.
• Completing incident reporting procedures per NOAA Small Boat Program requirements (small boat operations only).

Task #2 - Laboratory Duties

Requires subject-matter expertise and leadership on a component of the MDBC survey, including but not limited to:

• Subject-matter expert identifying marine fishes in all life stages from mesophotic and deep reef habitats.
• Video annotation, review, and data QA/QC of ROV-based footage; review of data entry.
• Management of review/tracking sheets; updating project management and annotation tracking tools.

Task #3 - Data Management Support

Leading an aspect of data projects as subject-matter expert (e.g., data applications) on MDBC databases, including but not limited to:

• Coordinating with NCEI and NCCOS Biogeography Branch to integrate existing bathymetric data (U.S. EEZ Gulf of Mexico, 50–1,800 m).
• Helping manage the MDBC database, applications, and survey SOP (including metadata).
• Managing data backups/security with OMI personnel.
• Integrating new automated data outputs to meet AI/ML interoperability standards.
• Managing video data annotation entry projects and maintaining project management tools.

Task #4 - Analytical Support

• Collating existing biological data and mining acoustic/bathymetric data for mesophotic and deep benthic reefs in the U.S. Gulf of America EEZ.
• Maintaining knowledge of relevant literature; supporting data analyses and summaries.
• Maintaining project management tool updates.
• Developing data reports and presentations; assisting with manuscripts per SEFSC publication procedures.
• Coordinating abstracts, presentations, and publications.
• Attending professional meetings and publishing in peer-reviewed literature.

Task #5 - Outreach & Education

• Participate in public outreach and education efforts, e.g., school programs, science fair judging, facility/ship tours, and outreach booths.

Task #6 - Scientific Meetings

• Prepare for and present, facilitate, or participate in position-related workshops, scientific meetings, symposiums, and public forums, presenting scientific results as required.

• MS degree in Marine Science or a related field, or BS degree plus 3 years of relevant experience.
• Computer literate with common word processing, database, statistical, and graphics programs; capable of college-level reports and oral presentations.
• Knowledge of ArcGIS, including Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions, for mission planning and spatial-distribution evaluation.
• Knowledge of MDBC field sampling protocols to lead or participate in surveys.
• Functional knowledge of ROV, AUV, and UUV operations, including developing logistical plans for at-sea operations using these assets.
• Experience as lead data collector on at-sea surveys; skilled with shipboard software handling hydrological and biological data streams.
• Proficient in fish, invertebrate, and protected species identification; knowledge of Gulf of America reef taxa.
• Expert knowledge of major structure-forming invertebrates in mesophotic and deep benthic communities of the Gulf of America.
• Knowledge of procedures for encountering endangered or threatened species.
• Sea-going contractors on OMAO NOAA ships must submit a NOAA Health Services Questionnaire (Form 57-10-01) and Tuberculosis Screening Form (NF 57-10-02) annually/biennially, and must have a current tetanus vaccine (within 10 years).