Trawl Survey Technician – Level II/III

About the role

A.I.S., Inc. is seeking a Trawl Survey Technician (Level II–III) to support NOAA Fisheries’ SEAMAP groundfish surveys. The role involves offshore research cruises, laboratory processing of fish and invertebrate samples, and data management for the Trawl and Plankton Branch.

Key responsibilities

• Participate in large‑vessel groundfish trawl surveys, serving as Field Party Chief, Watch Leader, or Watch Stander.
• Sort, count, weigh, sex, and measure specimens to estimate relative abundance.
• Prepare pre‑cruise instructions, coordinate logistics, and act as ship/science liaison.
• Identify fish and invertebrate species at all life stages using morphometric characteristics.
• Process finfish for life‑history studies, including otolith extraction, stomach content analysis, and tissue sampling for molecular and stable‑isotope work.
• Enter, edit, verify, and update survey data in the database.

Required profile

• Experience with marine field surveys and laboratory sample processing.
• Ability to work on offshore vessels and in laboratory settings.
• Strong attention to detail for data quality assurance.

Required skills

• Species identification using morphometric characteristics
• Otolith extraction and age analysis
• Stomach content examination for diet studies
• Collection of tissue samples for molecular and stable‑isotope analyses
• Data entry, verification, and database management