Coastal/Marine Restoration Specialists
National Marine Fisheries Service Restoration Center
Gloucester, MA; Narragansett, RI; Sandy Hook, NJ

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center (RC) is recruiting two (2) Coastal/Marine Restoration Specialists for its Northeast Team. The restoration specialists will be based in NOAA offices located in Gloucester, MA and either Narragansett, RI or Sandy Hook, NJ. The positions are offered through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) post-graduate program. These are not federal government positions. The successful candidates will work under an ORISE contract for the RC working in NOAA's Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) and Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (DARP). Appointment to these positions will be made for a period of one year and may be renewed for up to two additional years, subject to availability of funding. The salary range is from $35,000 to $45,000 per annum, depending upon the applicant's qualifications.

Under DARP, the restoration specialists will assist in planning, oversight, and monitoring of restoration projects for several oil spill/hazardous waste cases in the Northeast. The restoration specialist located in Narragansett, RI will have a particular focus on the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site. Under the CRP, the restoration specialists will help identify and evaluate restoration projects throughout the Northeast for potential funding, and provide technical assistance to local organizations in developing proposals for and implementing restoration projects. Under both programs, restoration projects may involve a variety of coastal/marine habitats and resources including tidal wetlands, eelgrass beds, anadromous fish, and shellfish. The job may involve the following: field investigations; technical evaluation of restoration proposals; development of project scopes of work, project oversight, and public outreach. Close interaction with various components of NOAA, other federal, state and local government agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations will be an important responsibility.

Eligible applicants must be currently enrolled in, or have recently completed (within the past two years), a graduate program at an accredited university. The applicant's degree should be in marine ecology, fishery biology, restoration ecology, or a related field. Candidates should possess knowledge of Northeastern coastal ecosystems, GIS, monitoring methods for specific habitat types or resources, and life histories and habitat requirements of fish and shellfish. Candidates should have strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with non-scientists. Other desirable qualifications include applied habitat restoration experience; experience with regulatory permitting of restoration projects in the northeast; and experience working on interdisciplinary teams. Applicants are encouraged to describe how their knowledge and skills fulfill the requirements of the position. Willingness to travel is a must. All applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent resident aliens from U.S. colleges or universities. NOAA is an equal opportunity employer.

For more information about the Restoration Center, visit our web site at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/. Information regarding the ORISE program can be found on the ORISE home page at http://www.orau.gov/orise.htm.

Please send your resume and cover letter by April 15, 2002 to: John Catena, National Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (978-281-9251; John.Catena@NOAA.GOV). When applying please identify which location you prefer (Gloucester, MA Narragansett, RI or Sandy Hook, NJ).


ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST

The Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (DARP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has vacancies for two environmental scientists or marine resource specialists in their Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. Appointment to these temporary positions will be made through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) program, and will be made for a period of one year, renewable for up to two additional years. The salary is $42,000 per annum. Applications are due by March 25, 2002. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Please enclose a resume, graduate and undergraduate academic transcripts, and a writing sample (preferably a recent technical paper or report). Applications should be mailed to: Lisa DiPinto, NOAA Damage Assessment Center, N/ORR3, SSMC4, Rm. 10218, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3281. Electronic applications will not be accepted.

The mission of DARP is to restore coastal and marine resources that have been injured by release of oil or hazardous substances and to obtain compensation for the public’s lost use of these resources.

The primary responsibilities of the incumbents will be to: 1) assess the nature, extent and severity of natural resource injuries to resources caused by releases of oil into the marine environment; 2) conduct restoration planning, including identifying and evaluating various restoration projects to determine the best means of compensating the public and the environment; and 3) coordinate the implementation and monitoring of restoration projects using recovered damages. NOAA’s DARP and other Trustee agencies perform these activities to recover damages from the responsible parties in order to implement natural resource restoration to compensate the public for injuries resulting from oil spills. Candidates must be able to synthesize the information into litigation quality Damage Assessment and Restoration Plans that will be made available to the public. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting assessment and restoration activities under the framework of the Louisiana Regional Restoration Planning Program (LARRP).

Requirements include completion within the past three years of a PhD or masters degree from an accredited university, with an emphasis in marine biology, ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, restoration ecology, or a related discipline. Candidates with a bachelors degree and equivalent experience will also be considered. All candidates should have: strong research, writing, and presentation skills; experience operating and navigating a small boat in all weather conditions; willingness to work on a flexible schedule, including overnight and weekend travel; proficiency with basic statistics, spreadsheet and database management software; familiarity with environmental modeling; project management skills; an ability to work independently; and a willingness to testify on behalf of the government. Some of the duties associated with this position will be physically demanding. Additional desirable qualifications include: familiarity with Louisiana coastal ecosystems; knowledge of coastal assessment and restoration techniques; experience working with oil spills; proficiency with Geographic Information Systems (particularly ArcView); knowledge of natural resource damage assessment and/or restoration ecology; experience working in litigation; and experience working as part of interdisciplinary teams.

For further information about this position, please contact Lisa DiPinto at the above address, by phone at (301) 713-3038 x187, or by email at lisa.dipinto@noaa.gov. Additional information about DARP and the Louisiana Regional Restoration Planning Program is available at www.darp.noaa.gov. NOAA is an equal opportunity employer.

Information regarding the ORISE program can be found on the ORISE home page at http://www.orau.gov/orise/Educ.htm.

Remember to reference this EnvironmentalCAREER.com job posting.