Spiridon Lake Sockeye Salmon Monitoring Project – Fish Technician I
Dates: April 16 – August 30, 2023. Employment may be extended through October 30th to work on the Otolith Recovery project (separate position announcement).
Wage: $13.50-$15.00, DOE, overtime eligible.
Duties: Assists the site crew leader (Fish Technician III) to carry out daily monitoring activities stationed full-time at remote field site for duration of project period without on-site supervision from Biologists. Responsibilities include live fish handling, data collection on smolt and adult salmon (scale, length, weight, otolith), cleaning debris from smolt traps, maintenance of camp equipment and trails. This position will work and live in the remote field camps monitoring and collecting data over the smolt migration and harvest of hatchery reared sockeye salmon. The project purpose is to evaluate freshwater and marine survival. Daily tasks scheduled as a team or individually based on migration patterns.
Qualifications: Pursuing education in fisheries/aquaculture, biology, or other natural resource field preferred. The successful candidate will be highly motivated, safety minded, and possess critical thinking skills to accomplish daily tasks. Experience in extended camping trips, wilderness skills, and/or basic construction techniques are helpful for this position. Successful candidate is expected to receive First Aid (Wilderness first aid preferred) and CPR certifications prior to start date. Safety is of upmost priority and candidate must be able to respond effectively to emergency situations. Candidates must also be physically lift 50 lbs. Strenuous hiking carrying frame packs (50lb load) several miles over rough terrain in brown bear country is required. Requires safe handling of firearms in protection against brown bear. The ability to self-entertain during non-working hours and maintain a positive attitude under challenging field conditions will be important.
Project Description: Spiridon Lake/Telrod Cove is accessible by floatplane from the City of Kodiak. Personnel will remain on-site for the duration of the project. Communication will be by satellite phone to relay data updates, resupply trips, and crew welfare. Normal phone or Internet is not available. The majority of time will be spent outdoors with extended exposure to cold, swift water, sun, rain, biting bugs, and bears. All camp supplies including groceries will be flown in every 2-3 weeks and carried by frame pack to the job site. Meals are prepared on gas stove and drinking water is filtered from nearby stream. Field personnel will live and work in proximity to Kodiak brown bears; safety is upmost priority to minimize human/bear interactions.
Benefits of the area are incredible outdoor recreation in a remote wilderness setting. KRAA will provide safety training (bear, firearm) and review sampling procedures prior to deployment. KRAA will provide transportation to/from the field site, housing, food, and chest waders for the project duration. A shared bunkhouse is provided for transition between start/end dates. All personal clothing/gear is provided by the candidate.
Spiridon Lake Smolt Monitoring
This position will assist in the construction and daily operation of the bypass system (two large inclined plane traps and attached pipeline) which allows fish to safely bypass a series of waterfalls to Telrod Cove. All fish will be enumerated by dipnet and sample a portion of the daily migration for scale (age), length, and weight measurements. Rotating day/night shifts and long hours are anticipated especially during peak migration days where high volumes of smolt will be migrating. Trap, trail, and camp maintenance usually occurs during daylight hours with intensive smolt monitoring during late night/early morning hours. Personnel will share living quarters with 1-2 additional technicians in a small cabin, prepare meals with propane stove, and have access to a small propane fridge during this phase of the project.
Telrod Cove Fishery Monitoring
Returning adult sockeye salmon are harvested in the common property fishery in Telrod Cove. Monitoring duties include operating a small skiff with outboard motor in the ocean to estimate harvest and collect otolith, age, sex, weight, and length data from commercial and subsistence fishermen. Boat and stream surveys are also conducted to estimate fish return estimates. Work hours are dependent on run strength and tide cycle. The candidate will share living quarters with one technician in a Weatherport tent (offering little privacy) with propane cook stove and small fridge or cooler during this phase of the project. Spartan living conditions apply.
Positions are open until filled. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for interview selection.
To apply please send resume, cover letter, dates of availability and three references to the contact below.
Tanner Squires
Research and Monitoring Manager
rm.manager@kraa.org
Be sure to indicate in the cover letter the specific position/site you are applying for. KRAA has openings at various project sites.
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