Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Biscayne National Park, Homestead, Florida

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 2

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 06/01/2025

End Date: 05/31/2026

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $665.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $400.00 distributed as a one-time lump sum.
  • Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly).
    • Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly).
  • For 52-week-long positions only:
    • Healthcare Coverage
    • Childcare Coverage

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 75 applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, 19 January, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 19 January, 2025. [This position now has over 60 applications as of Dec. 11, 2024, and is likely to fill and close very soon.]

PURPOSE

This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will work with the biological sciences at Biscayne National Park. The park was created largely to protect its incredible coral reef resources. Once extensive and thriving, the coral reef ecosystem is under attack and rapidly disappearing. Reef health in the park mirrors regional and global patterns of demise due to multiple factors including thermal stress, disease, ocean acidification, overfishing, coastal development, water quality degradation, and more. Several species of stony corals are now listed under the Endangered Species Act. Park corals have been hit particularly hard in recent years by ocean heat waves, hurricanes, and an ongoing and unprecedented coral disease outbreak that is deadly to 20+ coral species. In 2023, park reefs experienced a severe bleaching event caused by an unprecedented marine heatwave.

Park coral populations are at a historical low, and the park embraces active measures to conserve these precious resources. Coral reef health, coral restoration, and marine debris are our top priority resource concerns. Park staff are implementing the best available restoration and coral disease intervention methods, in an attempt to bolster vanishing coral populations and improve the health of the coral reef ecosystem. This work occurs in the context of a strong cooperative network of educational, non-profit, and agency partners who are committed to the stewardship and conservation of park resources. The goal of coral restoration in the park is to support coral populations until the time when abatement of regional and global stressors enables re-creation of ecosystems in which coral reefs can thrive. The proposed SIP member will contribute to this goal by helping rebuild dwindling coral populations, restoring reef habitat, and saving corals affected by SCTLD.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The SIP Coral Reef Restoration project positions will be based in the Habitat Restoration Program at Biscayne National Park. The positions will focus on five primary field initiatives that will further the park’s coral reef restoration and marine debris management goals:

1. Large-scale outplanting of nursery-propagated corals (20%): Large scale outplanting of nursery reared corals is planned for 2025-26, and the SIP member will work with external partners and park staff to outplant corals to multiple reef areas. The member will be responsible for helping stage corals at outplanting sites, install site markers, prepare outplanting sites, prepare reattachment materials, outplant the corals, and monitor reattachments.

2. Restoration of storm damaged corals (20%): Storm events, especially tropical storms and hurricanes, can result in extensive physical damage to coral reefs. Dislodged and broken corals (“corals of opportunity”, or COOs) provide an extremely valuable source of live tissue for restoration. They can be strategically reattached to the reef with a high expectation of survival, and resulting “new” coral communities will have several important outcomes: maximized survival of precious coral tissue that would otherwise be lost; co-located colonies for several high priority coral species, increasing the likelihood that they may achieve successful sexual reproduction during spawning events; focal areas where park staff may attempt to collect gametes for larval propagation (i.e. logistical “spawning hubs”); and created structure and habitat for reef-associated fish and invertebrates. The member will assist park staff with locating, moving, reattaching, and monitoring COOs.

3. Treating corals affected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (20%): The member will treat diseased corals with an antibiotic ointment across many reef areas of the park. The member will be responsible for preparing and administering the treatment ointment, and documenting treatment applications (noting coral species, size, treatment methods, site coordinates; installing marker tags; and photographing treatments).

4. Larval propagation of protected coral species during annual spawning events (10%): The member will participate in coral gamete collection night dives, and settlement and propagation of resulting larvae. The member will contribute to coral husbandry tasks in temporary field aquaria, and may also assist conservation partners with husbandry in established in-site and ex-situ coral nurseries.

5. Restoration of coral reef habitat through the removal of submerged marine debris (10%): Diving alongside program staff, the member will systematically search reef habitat to locate and carefully extract debris from the reef. Debris items will be counted, weighed, and processed prior to disposal.

The SIP members will spend ~80% of the position embedded in the aforementioned operations. The remaining 20% of time will be spent on office-based project and administrative tasks; helping coworkers with other projects such as sea turtle nest monitoring, lionfish management, fish and lobster creel surveys, and coastal forest restoration; and helping external partners with collaborative coral restoration work.


KEYWORDS: marine science, coral reef, seagrass, restoration, coral disease, marine debris

DELIVERABLES

The members will be responsible for compiling, summarizing, and mapping restoration activities completed in the five focus areas. At a minimum, the summaries shall address the quantities, species, and locations of outplanted nursery corals and COOs; quantities of corals treated for disease including species, locations, treatment methods, and treatment efficacy; results of our spawning and larval propagation activities; and quantities, categories, and locations of marine debris retrieved from the reef.

As an alternative, if an member has a school project to complete, the member may discuss with the supervisors the opportunity to develop a project based on a park data set that the member is actively working with.

The members shall disseminate the summary information compiled (or results of data analysis project) in two outlets. First, the members will make an oral/PowerPoint presentation to park staff and interested partners at the end of the position. The presentation will be recorded for use in dissemination park information to park stakeholders and the general public. Second, the members will work with program staff to add the summary information to our ongoing restoration databases.


QUALIFICATIONS

  • United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
  • Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
  • Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the NPS site location.
  • The applicant must be available to participate for 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have completed advanced coursework towards a bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, marine science or a related field. Graduate students in the aforementioned disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should ensure required and preferred qualifications are clearly called out in their resumes. Failure to do so will result in elimination from further consideration.

Required qualifications:

  • SCUBA certification
  • Active scientific diver status through an AAUS organization
  • A minimum of 25 scientific dives
  • Experience with underwater data collection
  • First Aid, CPR, O2 Administration, and Nitrox certification
  • Knowledge of coral reef ecology
  • Software proficiency: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, ESRI ArcGIS
  • Willingness to work with and take direction from a variety of coworkers
  • Willingness to withstand long field days year round with exposure to high and low temperatures, extended sun exposure, rough seas, chilling associated with long hours in the water, biting insects, and hazardous marine life
  • Ability to conduct boating and diving based field operations with no adverse affects from motion sickness, either through low propensity for seasickness or through ability to successfully manage it
  • Willingness to spend extended periods of time performing tedious office tasks (e.g. data entry and processing)

Preferred qualifications:

  • Previous experience with small boat operations
  • DOI Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC)
  • Coral restoration experience
  • Experience with scientific data entry
  • Experience with basic statistical analysis of scientific data
  • Experience with collection, management, and use of geospatial data

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Biscayne National Park (https://www.nps.gov/bisc) is one of the largest marine parks in the National Park System - 95 percent of its 173,000 acres is covered by water. The park is located in Homestead, FL in Miami-Dade County. The park is known for its coral reef and seagrass communities, exceedingly clear water, and keys with hardwood hammocks, mangrove forests, sandy beaches and rocky intertidal areas. The park preserves a unique, sensitive marine environment that is an important component of the south Florida ecosystem and economy. The Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay provide unique opportunities for great swimming, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, boating, snorkeling and scuba diving on the coral reefs. The climate is subtropical. The park headquarters at Convoy Point is located nine miles east of Homestead, a small city with medical and dental facilities (including a hospital), banking, groceries, educational and other amenities. Neighboring Miami, thirty miles to the north, provides all of the educational, medical, sporting, and cultural features of a thriving multi-ethnic metropolitan area. The park headquarters is located approximately 35 miles from the Miami International Airport. Homestead, Miami, and other adjacent communities support diverse populations with Latin American and Caribbean heritage.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
  • A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Park housing MAY be available. The park has one 4-person apartment available for members and temporary staff. I will submit a housing request for this position, that will not be decided on until early 2025, as the resource is shared across all park divisions.

If housing is not available at the park, other options in the local community may be considered. Existing BISC or EVER staff may have a room available for rent. EVER may have park housing available. The park is adjacent to the cities of Homestead and Miami with abundant and varied housing resources. The cost of local housing options is varied depending on the situation, and may be in the range of $1,000-$2,000/month. Alternatively, a qualified applicant from the local community may be selected.


HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.

Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your email service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.


ADDITIONAL DETAILS


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.


TIME REQUIREMENTS

  • This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
  • Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
  • Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

  • Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
  • Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
  • Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff or the Ecological Society of America.
  • Opportunity to join one (or more) SIP Affinity Groups. Groups include: DEIJ Change Makers, Women+ in Science, BIPOC, or Pride in STEM.
  • Opportunity to present the outcomes from the SIP position at national scientific meetings held by the Ecological Society of America and Geological Society of America.

EVALUATION AND REPORTING

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.


Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.


Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Biscayne National Park will host a Ecology Assistant.


Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements.


If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact us!”

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