Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist II

Marine Fisheries Research / Fisheries Independent Monitoring

Biological Scientist II - OPS

Organization:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manages fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. FWC is committed to science-informed, ethical, collaborative, efficient, and environmentally responsible decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5 years of professional experience in a closely related biological field or laboratory program; OR

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in biological sciences plus 1 year of professional biological field or laboratory experience; OR

• Master’s degree from an accredited college/university in biological sciences may substitute for the required experience.

• Valid driver’s license required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading fisheries-independent fieldwork using multiple sampling gears in estuarine/offshore waters.

• Experience identifying juvenile and adult marine/estuarine fishes using dichotomous keys, microscopes, or video.

• Experience trailering and operating small vessels up to 24 ft.

• Experience maintaining vehicles, boats, trailers, outboard motors, and fisheries sampling equipment.

• Experience mentoring and training fisheries staff.

Position Overview:

The incumbent will serve as a field biologist within a large Fisheries-Independent Monitoring (FIM) Program at the Apalachicola Bay Field Lab. The position focuses on statistically valid fisheries research surveys in estuarine and offshore waters to evaluate relative abundance, occurrence, diversity, and condition of Florida’s marine and brackish-water fish populations.

Responsibilities include coordinating and conducting inshore and offshore sampling throughout the Florida Panhandle and northeastern Gulf of Mexico using protocols and equipment such as seines, trawls, side-scan sonar, camera pods, acoustics, longlines, and other sampling methods. Duties include serving as field crew and/or field lead; preparing sampling activities; entering and performing data QA/QC; maintaining and repairing boats, motors, trailers, nets, protective gear, laboratory and office equipment; identifying fish and invertebrates using microscopes and dichotomous keys; preparing basic fisheries data summaries; contributing to technical reports, scientific manuscripts, and presentations; and participating in public outreach.

The position requires occasional travel, including consecutive days at sea each quarter and overnight travel for inshore fieldwork across western Florida Panhandle estuaries. The incumbent must be able to perform strenuous physical work in difficult weather and water conditions, including heavy lifting, shoreline wading, and extended periods aboard research vessels.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of scientific methods and fisheries research principles, sampling techniques, and fisheries data management.

• Experience with fish sampling equipment such as trawls and seines, Microsoft Office, and laboratory equipment such as microscopes.

• Ability to identify juvenile and adult fishes and invertebrates from Florida marine and estuarine environments.

• Ability to safely operate, trailer, and maintain vehicles, small boats, and outboard motors.

• Ability to enter, review, proof, and manage fisheries data using QA/QC procedures and software such as Excel, Access, R Studio, and SQL.

• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to work effectively with coworkers and the public.

• Willingness to participate in multidisciplinary research, overnight travel, extended field trips, strenuous fieldwork, and work more than 40 hours per week when required.

• Must maintain a valid Florida driver’s license and complete boater safety and First Aid/CPR training within 3 months of hire.

Requirements:

Employment is contingent upon a satisfactory Level 1 background check at no cost to the candidate. Qualifications must be verifiable through the application/resume, and employment gaps should be explained.

Benefits:

Eligible OPS employees may receive comprehensive health coverage, low-cost health premiums ($25 single/$90 family biweekly), $25,000 life insurance, OPS FICA Alternative Retirement Plan, on-the-job training, and FMLA eligibility.