Biological Technician Level III

POSITION DESCRIPTION :

Think Tank is seeking a motivated Biological Technician Level III  to support NEFSC fishery-independent research surveys in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. These positions play a vital role in assessing the abundance, distribution, and diversity of fish and invertebrate species.

Technicians will participate in extended sea-going research cruises, assist with at-sea and shore-based biological sampling, maintain advanced survey equipment, and ensure high-quality data collection to support NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) research programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Support annual research cruises (60–120 days at sea) by collecting biological and physical survey data.
• Sort, identify, measure, and dissect fish and invertebrates; collect biological samples (age, growth, maturity, genetics, diet).
• Operate and maintain data acquisition systems, acoustic / optical survey equipment, and sampling hardware .
• Assist with vessel staging, gear inspection, supply preparation, and equipment calibration .
• Perform QA / QC of survey data , manage fisheries databases, and maintain sampling inventories.
• Annotate benthic imagery, process lab samples, and contribute to protocol development.
• Develop outreach materials (manuals, newsletters, social media content) and support staff training.
• Lead field teams, summarize / analyze survey data, and work independently with minimal supervision.

REQUIREMENTS :

• 2+ years experience identifying Northwest Atlantic fish and invertebrate species.
• Experience aboard research vessels conducting fishery-independent surveys.
• 1+ year experience with bottom trawls and / or scallop / clam dredges.
• 1+ year experience with fishery sampling hardware (measuring boards, motion-compensated scales, barcode systems).
• 2+ years experience with electronic data acquisition systems.
• 2+ years or 100+ sea days (Shellfish & Advanced Tech Programs) OR 200+ sea days (Bottom Trawl Survey Program).
• Experience with acoustic net mensuration equipment (Scanmar, Simrad, Marport).
• 1+ year experience querying and summarizing data from relational databases (e.g., Oracle).
• Strong leadership, QA / QC, and independent research skills.