Coral Reef Watch Scientist - Bleaching Monitoring Lead

Global Science & Technology, Inc. (GST) seeks a Coral Reef Watch Scientist - Bleaching Monitoring Lead . This position is located in College Park, MD but has been approved for a hybrid work schedule. The successful candidate will oversee all aspects related to monitoring and documenting coral bleaching events, directly via field monitoring campaigns and in collaboration with partners. The candidate will conduct independent scientific, and statistical analyses to calibrate/validate coral bleaching prediction algorithms and document impacts of coral bleaching events. Background: NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) uses remotely-sensed data to identify physical-environmental stressors that may impact marine ecosystems and resources CRW utilizes satellite-derived sea surface temperatures & thermal anomaly algorithms to identify when & where coral reef ecosystems are at risk for coral bleaching. Coral bleaching predictions are used by reef managers, scientists, & the public to understand, document, & respond to the increasing threat of marine heat waves. Position Summary: Prospective employees must demonstrate multiple years of field experience with coral reef-related science programs and/or laboratories focused on documentation and dissemination of information related to climate change (or disease) impacts on reef-building corals or other ecologically significant coral reef-associated taxa. The successful candidate will work directly with the Coral Reef Watch Coordinator to ensure satisfactory completion of tasks and determination of priorities. Duties and required responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:Assist the Coral Reef Watch Coordinator to build and maintain domestic and international collaborations; strong interpersonal skills are a mustIdentify and leverage synergies within NOAA and other long-term coral reef monitoring programs to facilitate additional collection of bleaching monitoring data + Must directly engage with other NOAA laboratories engaged in coral reef research to maximize information gleaned from existing monitoringTo assist with calibration/validation of CRW bleaching predictions, the applicant: + Must have demonstrable, first-hand experience quantifying the impacts of environmental stressors on coral reef ecosystems + Must be proficient with data management, statistical analyses, interpretation of data, and writing up results of independent scientific analyses + Must demonstrate experience working with multiple types of coral reef ecological data, including in-water bleaching/mortality data and physical-environmental data, both in situ and/or remotely-sensed + Must have demonstrable, real-world scientific experience working with coral reef ecosystems + Must have experience analyzing coral reef benthic data. Direct experience using photo quadrat, photomosaic, and/or structure-from-motion technologies is highly sought after + Must have field experience with deployment, maintenance, and swapping of in-water temperature probesContribute aforementioned statistically analyzed/interpreted data to peer-reviewed scientific publications; preference is given to applicants with 1st authored peer-reviewed publication(s) that utilized statistics to document the significance of changes in coral reef environments. Required Education/Experience/Skills: Scientist/Marine Biologist with a background in marine science, physical and biological oceanography, and coral reef ecosystem processes required. A Master's degree or higher with 10 years of experience will be highly considered.Real-world and multiple years of experience with coral reef monitoring are requiredStrong written and oral communication skillsExtensive scientific (AAUS) and/or NOAA SCUBA diving experience is requiredMS Office SuiteAdobe Photoshop suiteProficient with statistical software (e.g., R statistical environment) Selected applicants will be subject to a government background investigation. GST offers competitive salaries; vacation, sick, and holiday leave; major medical, dental, life, long-term, and short-term disability insurance; 401K retirement plan; tuition assistance; and opportunities for employee career growth and development. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. GST is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.