Outreach and Research Assistant

at  Ocean Wise

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND CERTIFICATIONS

• 1-2 years’ post-secondary education in biology, natural sciences, environmental studies, marine science, or related field (or equivalent experience);
• Knowledge of local cetacean species and coastal BC geography;
• Experience delivering educational programs or talks;
• Experience with data collection and management;
• Valid BC driver’s license and access to a vehicle essential;
• Supervisory experience an asset;
• First Aid certification is an asset;
• Vessel and/or drone experience and certifications an asset.

SKILLS

• Knowledge of marine mammal biology and ecology;
• Self-motivated and able to work well under minimal supervision;
• Outgoing, energetic, and comfortable with public speaking and engaging the public;
• Strong writing skills, demonstrated ability to disseminate scientific literature into educational blogs and other articles for the general public;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills;
• Field experience and vessel-based data collection;
• Intermediate skills in word processing, database, and spreadsheet software;
• Ability to learn and adapt in a constantly changing environment;
• Resourceful, a problem-solver, skilled in meeting priorities and able to adapt to unexpected situations;
• Ability and maturity to deal with a wide variety of ages and personalities.

The Whales Initiative is one of the six core initiatives of Ocean Wise’s conservation strategy. The initiative aims to conduct research to develop a rigorous scientific understanding of the nature and magnitude of specific anthropogenic threats affecting cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). Two core pillars make up the Whales Initiative: 1) The WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS) and 2) Cetacean Health and Monitoring (CH&M).
The WRAS pillar focuses on the development and expansion of the WRAS, a marine situational awareness tool which notifies commercial mariners of whales in their vicinity so that they may take mitigation measures to reduce the risk of collision and disturbance. Also included under this pillar is the Ocean Wise Sightings Network (OWSN) - a primarily citizen science-based monitoring program. The OWSN collects sightings of cetaceans and sea turtles from a diverse network of researchers, professional mariners, recreational boaters, and coastal citizens. One of the OWSN’s principal activities is to decrease vessel associated impacts to cetaceans through targeted outreach in coastal communities and with both recreational and commercial mariners. The OWSN encourages mariners to follow Marine Mammal Regulations while on the water and solicits real-time cetacean sighting reports via the WhaleReport smartphone application to elicit WRAS alerts.
The CH&M pillar encompasses applied research and tool development to address threats to cetacean health – namely nutritional health, genetic health and overall population health. A core focus area of the CH&M program is the North Coast of BC. Current North Coast projects include leveraging acoustic and sightings data to inform critical habitat and documenting seasonal site fidelity of humpback whales and other cetaceans.

The Outreach and Research Assistant will play a key role in promoting the OWSN throughout the North Coast and Haida Gwaii (75% of time) and support North Coast cetacean research (maximum 25% of time) by:

• Promoting Ocean Wise conservation-based research with local community members through a combination of online and in-person engagement;
• Planning and conducting public outreach events to educate coastal citizens, recreational boaters, and local mariners on marine mammal laws and guidelines, and encourage reporting cetacean sightings using the WhaleReport app when on the water;
• Coordinating a team of 2-3 volunteers at outreach events;
• Assisting with sightings data management and analysis;
• Contributing to the OWSN’s online presence by writing blog posts and articles, creating Instagram posts, and conducting outreach events through virtual presentations.
• Assist with data collection during on water marine mammal surveys