[ES_JOBS_NET] Field Ecologist I - Instrumentation - NEON Project- D4 Puerto Rico

[Christine Wiedinmyer]

http://jobs.battelle.org/ShowJob/Id/1814429/Field-Ecologist-I-Instrumentatio
n-NEON-Project-D4-Puerto-Rico/

 

Field Ecologist I - Instrumentation - NEON Project- D4 Puerto Rico

Date:

10/10/2018

Location:

Guanica, PR US

Company:

Battelle

Battelle is guided by a founding mission. We invest our knowledge, talents
and resources, helping our customers achieve their most important goals. We
apply scientific rigor and creativity, succeeding where others may fail, and
we invest in our communities, making the world better for generations to
come. All of us share a common purpose: to solve the greatest challenges of
today and tomorrow.

 

Our 22,000 employees work at the forefront of scientific innovation to
tackle critical challenges in security, human health, manufacturing, energy
and environmental management. Battelle’s work is grounded in the belief that
science, technology and a passion for excellence can make industries more
competitive and the world a better place.

 

Primary Function 

Battelle manages and operates the National Ecological Observatory Network
(NEON) project, which is solely funded by the National Science Foundation. A
30+ year project dedicated to understanding how changes in climate, land use
and invasive species impact ecology, the observatory’s scientists and
engineers are collecting a comprehensive range of ecological data on a
continental scale across 20 eco-climatic domains representing US ecosystems.
Our teams use cutting-edge technology, including an airborne observation
platform that captures images of regional landscapes and vegetation; mobile,
relocatable, and fixed data collection sites with automated ground sensors
to monitor soil and atmosphere; and trained field crews who observe and
sample populations of diverse organisms and collect soil and water data.
Once structures are completed, a leading edge cyberinfrastructure will
calibrate, store and publish this information.  The Observatory includes
more than 500+ personnel and is the first of its kind designed to detect and
enable forecasting of ecological change at continental scales.

Field Ecologists reports to the Field Operations Manager.

*	Field Ecologist I - The Field Ecologist I is a biological sampling
lead performing seasonal and periodic sampling activities and sample
processing. Seasonal field sampling is conducted with the assistance of
temporary field crews under the guidance of the Field Ecologist.

 

Location 

 

Domain 4 (D04) is headquartered in Guanica, Puerto Rico. The town is about
100 miles and over two hours driving distance from San Juan, the capital
city of the island, and about 20 miles west of Ponce, another principal city
of the island.  As a tropical island, the climate is hot and wet all year
around.  Puerto Rico is located in the hurricane alley, and during the
hurricane season the weather can change significantly.

D04 have 4 sampling sites (2 terrestrial and 2 aquatic). Our core
terrestrial site is located at the Guanica Dry Forest about 15 minutes from
de Domain Support Facility (DSF), and our relocatable site is at the
UPR-Lajas Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) about 30 minutes from the
DSF. Our core aquatic site is located at the Cupeyes River about 30 minutes
from de DSF and our relocatable site is at the UPR- Limani AES about 2 hours
from the DSF.

The Guanica Dry Forest have a rugged dry terrain with thorny vegetation. The
temperatures in the forest, on average, around 90 °F in shaded areas and
over 100 °F in exposed areas, in contrast with the Lajas AES were the
terrain is generally flat and the average high temperature is 90 degrees F.
The plant communities vary by site and range from thorny vegetation and a
high degree of plant and animal diversity at the Guanica Forest to a heavily
managed agricultural site at the Lajas AES. Our aquatic sites are relatively
shallow, however can be flashy in the raining season. There are many
stinging insects and plants that cause rashes. Since Puerto Rico is a
tropical island, there are several invasive species that would pose a hazard
and potentially can be caught in our traps. As well D04 use Peanut butter as
a bait for Small Mammal trapping.   All of our sites require walk and carry
equipment to the sampling point, so a tripping hazard is always present.


Due the culture of the island, the candidate needs to be fluent in Spanish
and English (speak, read and write).Working schedules are generally
coordinated with 2 weeks in advance. Some protocols require start early in
the morning and some ends late in the afternoon, Techs will need to be
flexible in the hours. Weeks are 40 hours with possible overtime. The
general ratio of field to lab work is about 75% field and 25% lab but that
can change according to the necessity of the field work.

Major Responsibilities 

Instrumentation (tower) emphasis:

*	Test, troubleshoot and operate instruments, calibration equipment
and test fixtures.
*	Inspect and maintain civil infrastructure including boom arms,
sensor mounts, towers, boardwalks and instrument huts.
*	Record activities, completed work and trouble tickets according to
Field Operations protocol.

 

General duties include:

*	Report activities, completed work, and sampling problems according
to Field Operations protocols.

*	Inspect, maintain and operate field, safety and laboratory
equipment.
*	Operate laboratory equipment (e.g. Wiley Mill, drying oven,
analytical balance, centrifugal mill, pH meter, microscope, and muffle
furnace).
*	Assist the Field Operations Manager with recruiting and training of
seasonal field personnel.
*	Provide instruction and technical guidance to seasonal field
personnel.
*	Perform plot establishment by locating plots with GPS navigation as
well as measuring and marking plots.
*	Assist the Field Operations Manager with materials planning,
inventory and ordering as well as day-to-day oversight of personnel and
scheduling of activities coordinated from the field office.
*	Follow NEON Project safety and Field Operations policy and
procedures.

 

Field activities may include:

*	Follow established, standardized field protocols for sample
collection and handling; record and verify accuracy of data from sample
collections; process samples in the laboratory; send samples to external
analytical labs. Train and lead field crews performing the aforementioned
items.
*	Perform other field sampling activities as assigned including:
ground beetle collection (pitfall trapping), mosquito collection (CO2 light
traps, tick collection (dragging and flagging) and soil core collection.
*	Test, troubleshoot and operate tower, soil and aquatic instruments,
calibration equipment and test fixtures.
*	Inspect and maintain civil infrastructure including boom arms,
sensor mounts, towers, boardwalks and instrument huts.
*	Monitor and sample aquatic sites for water quality, biological
indicators and physical properties of site (e.g. gaging streams, geomorphic
mapping).

 

Physical demands:

The work is physical and involves walking, hiking, prolonged standing,
walking and bending. Heavy items (e.g. equipment and packs up to 40 pounds)
must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

 

Work environment:

Fieldwork includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain,
pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Tower work
involves performing work on instrument towers ranging in height from 24 feet
to 300 feet, which will include ascending and descending multiple flights of
stairs.

Position Requirements 

 

The NEON Project will be selecting a Field Ecologist I, II or Senior Field
Ecologist. Equivalent education and experience may be considered.

*	Field Ecologist I

*	Bachelor’s degree in ecology, environmental sciences or related
scientific discipline.
*	One (1) or more years’ of related experience.

 

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