Seasonal Seabird technician

Shoals Marine Laboratory; New Hampshire; On-site; USD 28,210; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stipend of $620 per week

Room and board provided

Unique living experience in a historic lighthouse

Job summary

A marine research facility is seeking two Seasonal Seabird Technicians to manage and study terns at the Isles of Shoals from early May to mid-August. Responsibilities include banding seabirds, conducting diet studies, and monitoring breeding productivity. Applicants must have a degree related to conservation or biology, be physically fit, and possess strong bird identification skills. This position includes a stipend, accommodation, and shared housing during time off.

Qualifications

• Experience with overseeing data collection.
• Comfortable working independently and in teams.
• Capable of climbing over rugged terrain and lifting 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Banding and band resighting of seabirds.
• Conducting diet studies and productivity monitoring.
• Managing predator threats to breeding colonies.

Skills

Bird identification

Data collection and management

Physical fitness

Education

Degree in conservation, biology, ecology or related fields

Job description

Position Dates: early May to mid August (exact dates TBD)

Number of Positions: 2 positions

Location: White and Seavey islands, Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire

Stipend: $620 per week, plus room & board will be provided on White Island

Requirements: A degree in conservation, biology or ecology, wildlife biology/management, environmental science or related disciplines.

Position Description: Two Seasonal Seabird Technicians will work with SML's Director of Seabird Research to study and manage a breeding colony of Common, Roseate and Arctic terns at Isles of Shoals. Primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, banding and band resighting, diet studies, productivity monitoring, and predator management. The applicant should have experience in overseeing and participating in data collection and management, establishing a daily work schedule based on approved protocols, bird identification, and banding. Experience with boats is preferred. Applicants must be in excellent physical condition (capable of climbing over rugged terrain and able to lift 50 lbs.), be comfortable living and working in close quarters for extended periods of time, and enjoy working independently and with others. The technicians will live in a historic and rustic lighthouse keeper's cottage (solar electricity, composting toilets, no running water). Mainland housing will be provided locally (Seacoast area) on days off, which will be arranged under direction of the Director of Seabird Research. This time off housing is shared with other Shoals Marine Laboratory staff.

White and Seavey islands (Photo by Tim Briggs)

To Apply

If interested, email a cover letter, current resume, and contact information for three professional references to Dr. Elizabeth Craig, [e-mail] .

The program is overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Craig, Director of Seabird Research at SML. Dr. Craig joined the SML community after completing her Ph.D. in Zoology and Wildlife Conservation and Postdoc in Natural Resources at Cornell University. Dr. Craig is an ornithologist and colonial waterbird biologist who specializes in conservation management, population dynamics, and foraging ecology of seabirds.

Learn more about the Isles of Shoals Seabird Ecology and Conservation Program.