NOAA SWFSC
University of Santa Cruz
Institute of Marine Sciences-Fisheries Collaborative Program UCSC/NOAA
8-hour days: 95%
10-hour days: 5%
In the field: 85%
In the office: 15%
Spawner/Redd Surveys: 30%
Field PIT Tagging: 10%
Hatchery Work: 5%
Biological Sample Analysis Lab Work: 5%
Sediment Surveys: 5%
E-Fishing: 5%
Habitat Surveys: 5%
Commuting To/From Field Sites: 5%
Snorkel Surveys: 5%
Data Entry: 5%
Gear and equipment maintenance 5%
PIT tag antenna construction and maintenance 5%
Weir Operation/Maintenance and video review: 10
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the management, conservation, and protection of living marine resources within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. NOAA also plays a support and advisory role in the management of living marine resources in coastal areas under state jurisdiction, provides scientific and policy leadership in the international arena, and implements internationally agreed conservation and management measures. CMs will be located at the Fisheries Ecology Division of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in Santa Cruz, California. The SWFSC Santa Cruz laboratory is widely recognized for leadership and innovation on issues related to the conservation of anadromous Pacific salmon populations in California and elsewhere. The Santa Cruz laboratory is especially active in Coho Salmon and steelhead-bearing watersheds south of San Francisco Bay, and CMs will join a research team working to assess the status of these species in the Santa Cruz Mountains region and the efficacy of ongoing recovery actions.
Part of the core objective of a NOAA Science Center is to provide mentorship and training to young resource professionals. SWFSC has a long history of supporting graduate and undergraduate students from the University of California, Santa Cruz to assist with our various salmon conservation and recovery efforts. However, these student commitments are typically of short duration (i.e. 10 weeks) due to constraints of the academic calendar. Hosting Corpsmembers at this site has allowed NOAA to maintain consistency of efforts across the entire field season. SWFSC research and monitoring involve substantial fieldwork and training, and CMs are critical to maintaining consistency in efforts throughout the entirety of the field season.
CMs will be engaged in assisting SWFSC with biological and effectiveness monitoring of salmonids in local coastal watersheds, primarily focused on Scott Creek and San Vicente Creek in Santa Cruz County. CMs will be working together on various projects along with staff from NOAA and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). Most tasks require small field crews (2-4 people) and there will be a set schedule for all fieldwork. Ongoing projects overlap by season, so there will be ample opportunity to experience salmonid monitoring at all life stages. The Mentors with NOAA are an integral and active part of the team; each Mentor generally participates in the same core activities and tasks as CMs.
Regular team meetings help solidify priorities and scheduling and to facilitate communication.
CMs will participate in life cycle monitoring of threatened and endangered salmonids. Core activities include adult weir trapping, spawner ground surveys, downstream-migrant trapping, snorkel surveys, and electrofishing. There will also be an opportunity to tag (passive integrated transponder [PIT] and disc TAG) and release fish produced by the Southern Coho Salmon Captive Brood Stock Program. Collectively, CMs’ activities support recovery goals and actions established for ESA-listed Coho Salmon and steelhead by NOAA Fisheries and CDFW. The SWFSC provides unique professional and educational experiences for CMs interested in fisheries conservation and management. Research conducted at the SWFSC employs cutting-edge technology to quantify status and trends of threatened and endangered salmonids, and the ecosystems on which they depend. In addition to receiving firsthand experience with salmonid restoration and recovery in central California, the SWFSC (as a NOAA Science Center and being located on a University of California campus) provides access and exposure to contemporary research, conservation, and management actions targeting a wide range of protected species and ecosystems.
Basic understanding of watershed ecology, comfortable in and around stream habitats
Reliable, flexible, and able to work weekends
Positive attitude under a variety of challenging conditions