NOAA SWFSC

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz

Placement Site Address: 110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Santa Cruz, CA - City Data Information Link

Mentors: Cynthia Kern, Associate Project Scientist and Sam Funakoshi, Lab Assistant and Field Tech

Number of Corpsmembers at Site: 2

Number of Years Site has Hosted WSP Corpsmembers: 11

Other Partner Organization(s) of Placement Site:

University of Santa Cruz

Institute of Marine Sciences-Fisheries Collaborative Program UCSC/NOAA

Service Hours:

8-hour days: 95%

10-hour days: 5%

Housing Offered: No

Work Vehicle Provided: Yes

CM Time Spent in Field/Office:

In the field: 85%

In the office: 15%

Corpsmember Activities:

Spawner/Redd Surveys: 29%

Field PIT Tagging: 14%   

Weir Operation/Maintenance and video review: 10%

Hatchery Work: 5%

Biological Sample Analysis Lab Work: 5%  

E-Fishing: 5%  

Habitat Surveys: 5%

Commuting To/From Field Sites: 5%

Snorkel Surveys: 5%

Data Entry: 5%

Sediment Surveys: 4%  

Gear and equipment maintenance: 2.5%

PIT tag antenna construction and maintenance: 2.5%

Site Specific Education & Outreach: 1%

Seining: 1%

GIS Mapping: 1%

Placement Site Objectives & Organizational Needs:

NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the management, conservation, and protection of living marine resources within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. We also play a support and advisory role in the management of living marine resources in coastal areas under state jurisdiction, provide scientific and policy leadership in the international arena, and implement internationally agreed conservation and management measures. We have defined our mission as follows: Stewards of living marine resources for the benefit of the nation through science-based conservation and management and promotion or the health of the environment. As an agency, NOAA Fisheries maintains six regional Science Centers around the country to provide scientific information to support management and conservation of protected species. The WSP Corpsmembers(s) 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 the WSP Corpsmembers 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.

Mentorship Style:

Our Placement Site offers two Mentors to the Corpsmembers to allow for clear and effective communication. The Mentors are also an integral and active part of the team; each Mentor generally participates in the same core activities and tasks as the WSP Corpsmembers. Regular team meetings help solidify priorities and scheduling and facilitate communication. All our Mentors practice an open-door policy where Corpsmembers generally have access to Mentors at all times.

WSP Corpsmembers will be engaged in assisting SWFSC scientists with biological and effectiveness monitoring of salmonids in local coastal watersheds, primarily focused on Scott Creek in Santa Cruz County. Corpsmembers will be working together on various projects along with staff from SWFSC 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 field work. Ongoing projects overlap by season, so there will be ample opportunity to experience and contribute to salmonid monitoring at all life stages.

Unique Characteristics of Placement Site:

Corpsmembers 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 coded-wire tag) and release fish produced by the Southern Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program. Collectively, these activities support recovery goals and actions established for ESA-listed Coho Salmon and steelhead by NOAA Fisheries and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). We believe our site provides unique professional and educational experience for Corpsmembers 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 their critical habitats. In addition to receiving firsthand experience with salmonid restoration and recovery in central California, our site (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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Desired in CM:

Basic understanding of watershed ecology, comfortable in and around stream habitats

Reliable, flexible, and able to work weekends

Passionate about salmonid conservation

Positive attitude under a variety of challenging conditions