OPS Research Assistant

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Research Assistant - OPS 77907517

Lakeland, Florida - $20 per hour

This is a temporary, full-time (>30 hours/week) biological research position funded by a State Wildlife Grant through 6/30/2027, with potential continuation contingent upon future grant awards. The position will serve on the statewide Freshwater Plants research group, whose mission is to conduct applied research to assist and inform ecosystem managers on priority aquatic plant issues. Priority issues vary over time as needed by the management community and currently include assessment of submergent and emergent aquatic plant communities in lakes and rivers, aquatic plant control techniques, habitat restoration, and revegetation methods. Specific job duties include but are not limited to the following:

Serve as a crew member of a sampling team to collect biological data for the project: Assessment of Aquatic Vegetation and Salinity in Coastal Wetlands of Florida Rivers. The study area will include 10 rivers along the Florida gulf coast. The sampling protocol will include navigating sampling sites using handheld GPS units, identifying and surveying aquatic vegetation coverage within sampling plots, and measuring water quality parameters along the sampling reach. Duties will include operating FWC vehicles, towing trailers, and operating vessels in waters of the state. Duties will include participation in overnight sampling trips, and potentially working under extreme environmental conditions (e.g., heat, winds and rough water, currents, sheltering from storms, and long hours in the field as needed to complete work assignments).

Maintain sampling equipment, vehicles, and vessels and prepare for sampling trips. Enter field data into computer databases, including quality assurance quality control (QAQC) measures to ensure accuracy of entries. Assist with data analysis and writing grant reports to document project progress and results. Assist Freshwater Plants Research staff with supplemental data collection including literature reviews, data downloads from agency websites, and/or additional field sampling efforts. Promote and participate in FWC public outreach events (e.g., Marine Quest) as assigned. Complete administrative tasks including agency training; submission of timesheets, vehicle reports, and travel forms; and keeping current on email and schedule via Outlook calendar.