Contract Position in Belize: January 15 - December 15, 2013
Organization Background
The Oceanic Society (OS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
founded in California in
1969 whose mission is to conserve marine wildlife and habitats by deepening
connections between people and nature through research, community
engagement, and
first-hand experience. We support community-focused, applied research to inform
responsible conservation strategies at numerous field sites around
the world and in the
U.S. We have also fielded hundreds of volunteers on dozens of natural
history and
research expeditions to locations around the world, including
Micronesia, Mexico,
Costa Rica, Belize, and California. OS has operated in Belize since
1992 and has worked
with and supported numerous scientists conducting high quality
research over that
time period.
Both OS and the University of Belize's Environmental Research
Institute (ERI) operate
research field stations on Turneffe Atoll in Belize, the largest
coral atoll in the western
hemisphere. Applied research projects stage from these field
stations, including
monitoring of critical marine ecosystems like coral reefs,
seagrasses, and mangroves, as
well as population surveys and ecology studies on dolphins and
crocodiles, manatees
and more recently sea turtles.
To ensure that research at Turneffe Atoll is targeted to meet needs
of national and local
resource managers, OS has officially partnered with ERI, which is the national
clearinghouse for biodiversity monitoring data in Belize, and is
responsible for setting
biodiversity conservation research priorities and coordinating
biodiversity monitoring
for Belize.
Job Description:
In this context, OS is seeking a unique individual with applied
research experience with
marine megafauna species, particularly marine mammals (i.e. cetaceans
or West Indian
manatees), to lead OS's efforts to coordinate and strengthen national
research priorities
for key marine species, as outlined in ERI's National Research
Agenda, and to represent
OS in Belize. Areas of focus could include marine megafauna conservation,
determination of high-use areas and movement patterns of marine
megafauna species,
marine policy or marine spatial planning in Belize and the
Meso-American Reef system
more broadly. The physical location of the position will be split
between ERI's office in
Belmopan and OS's Blackbird Caye field station on Turneffe. Position
to start in January
2013.
Key responsibilities will include:
* Work with OS's Chief Scientist to coordinate the implementation
of OS research and monitoring in Belize with a focus on marine
megafauna species
* Guide development of OS research projects related to marine
megafauna conservation
* Assist in the development of special programs and projects with
a wildlife conservation focus in furtherance of the objectives of OS in Belize
* Coordinate OS-supported research projects based at Blackbird
field station on Turneffe Atoll, and ensure that they address key
research priorities identified by ERI's National Research Agenda
* Collaborate with other researchers working throughout Belize on
conservation issues pertaining to improved management of migratory
megafauna species
* Represent OS on Committees, etc. within Belize by attending
relevant meetings, seeking and cultivating partnerships with NGOs,
management agencies, university researchers, funders/donors, and
others, and generally aligning OS's Belize-based activities with OS's
overall institutional priorities and mission
* Provide input into the development of strategic plans for ERI
in respect to marine wildlife programs and projects for approval
* Lead his/her own research projects at Turneffe Atoll and other
sites in Belize
* Lead select Oceanic Society research projects on dolphins and
manatees at Turneffe Atoll and other sites in Belize for a 4-month period.
Preferred qualifications:
* M.S. in marine biology or similar
* An established track-record of independent research and
scientific publications
* Experience leading non-specialist volunteers in field research projects
* Experience with boat-based wildlife survey methodology,
including visualization surveys, acoustic tracking and behavioral
observations, snorkel/dive transects, etc.
* Expertise in ecology and conservation of marine megafauna,
particularly marine mammals
* International experience and comfort with living in rustic
field conditions for extended periods, and being able to solve
problems and deal with challenging logistics
* Dedication to teamwork, collaboration, and respect for others,
as well as to conservation of marine wildlife and habitats.
Review of applications will begin November 20, 2012 and will continue
until finalists are identified. Applications received after that
point may be considered if the position is not filled from the finalist pool.
Salary: Dependent on Experience. Does not include benefits. Airfare
is included from a U.S. gateway city.
Interested persons should email cover letter describing
qualifications for the position along with curriculum vitae,
including the names and contact information for at least three references to:
Dr. Bryan Wallace, Chief Scientist, Oceanic Society
[email protected] with a copy to [email protected]
For more information about the Oceanic Society, visit:
www.oceanicsociety.org. OS
scientific advisory board: http://www.oceanicsociety.org/sci_advisors
For more information about the University of Belize's Environmental
Research Institute,
visit: http://eriub.org/
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