Marine Assistant – Antarctica

Zoological Field Assistants will be recruited to carry out fieldwork on seabirds and seals. Bird Island is small (7 km in length) and forms part of the South Georgia archipelago where it is buffeted by both prevailing westerlies and cold winds from Antarctica. It has a high annual rainfall and variable snow cover during winter. In summer tens of thousands of seals and hundreds of thousands of seabirds breed there. Up to 10 staff live in a modern research station with a satellite link to the outside world and comfortable accommodation.

The successful applicants will work and live on Bird Island continuously, living with other residents and 3 summer only visitors. Whilst everyone is assigned duties to keep the research station running (including cooking and cleaning), the residents have extra responsibilities (after pre-deployment training), such as providing IT, communications and medical cover. They will each be responsible for one element of a long term science programme. The learning curve is very steep and so all candidates must have previous experience of handling appropriate wild animals, but BAS will provide a finishing school (at Bird Island) to hone these skills. A recent magazine article gives an insight into what it is like to do one of these jobs.

Work in the wildlife breeding season at Bird Island is very intensive, with long hours of fieldwork and data preparation, so it is important to be well organised. Data are collated using databases and by submitting reports, observing deadlines at frequent intervals. The results underpin key research into regional and global change processes based on seabird and seal life histories, reproductive success, behaviour and diet.

The position of Zoological Field Assistant offers a unique opportunity for highly motivated and disciplined individuals with relevant fieldwork skills and a keen interest in wildlife, who will adapt well to small island living in a challenging sub-Antarctic environment.

BAS are looking to appoint a marine assistant to run the ongoing biological and oceanography time series, which includes leading the tasks of aquaria and chemistry lab maintenance, CTD profiling, seawater sampling, sediment trapping, iceberg scouring, ice observations and biological monitoring and collections together with supporting other sampling and diving activities.

Who are we?

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. British Antarctic Survey is a component of the?Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).?NERC?is part of UK Research and Innovation?www.ukri.org

We employ experts from many different professions to carry out our Science as well as keep the keep the lights on, feed the research and support teams and keep everyone safe! If you are looking for an opportunity to work with amazing people in amazing places then British Antarctic Survey could be for you. We aim to attract the best people for those jobs.

Purpose

The main role of the marine assistant is to run the ongoing biological and oceanography time series, which includes leading the tasks of aquaria and chemistry lab maintenance, CTD profiling, seawater sampling, iceberg scouring, sediment trapping, ice observations and biological collections together with supporting other sampling and diving activities.

Qualification

HSE IV/Advanced European Scientific Diver or sport equivalent (3 star CMAS).

Duties

• Maintenance of aquaria.

Small flow-through aquaria enabling holding of live specimens. These need regular repair, back-flushing, logging of temperatures and prevention of excess ice build up.

• Sea water sampling.

Regular seawater samples will be taken from a site close to the research station as part of a long running programme looking at seasonal patterns and year to year variation in temperature, chlorophyll and nutrient concentration. Samples are taken by water bottle from a small workboat in summer, and through holes cut in the fast-ice in winter. They are analysed in a small chemistry lab on base. In addition there is a regular profile taken with a CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) probe to 500 metres. These data are important for detecting changes and feedbacks in the physical and biological oceanographic systems. This will also support work by visiting scientists who take extra water samples for specific projects.

• Iceberg scouring.

Annual survey of a series of markers from 5-25 m depth adjacent to the station in South Cove. Recording identity of markers hit by icebergs and replacing these with new markers. Period photography of each grid square (enclosed by markers) in support of projects. Monitoring, maintenance and switch over of memory cards on remote camera at Badger Butress (which photographs calving and iceberg transits around Sheldon glacier).

• Ice observations.

Regular measurements are taken of the extent, thickness and type of ice and are essential for interpreting the data from the water sampling and sediment trapping programmes. As with the related programmes continuation of this long term data set is of great importance.

• Support of marine biology programmes.

The main role of the assistant marine biologist is to run the routine programmes. Occasionally, however, the other marine biologists at Rothera require assistance either within the laboratory or for field work.

• Collection of material for UK scientists.

Every year BAS receives a number of requests for both living and preserved biological material for research. Specimens are to be collected whenever possible while diving or from the shore, though usually live material is collected at the end of summer. We have a simple but effective system for transporting living material to the UK, and a refrigerated aquarium for holding material at Cambridge. You will be expected to accompany the live material to the UK on the ship at the end of your stay in Antarctica, which means a diversion through South America on the way home is not possible with this post.

• Biological monitoring.

Together with the marine biologist you will undertake a comprehensive programme of biological monitoring through SCUBA diving. This includes serial documentation of settlement onto experimental slate panels and reproductive activity.

• Seabird and marine mammal work.

A small amount of regular observation and census work on seabirds and marine mammals will be required.

• Personal projects.

It is anticipated there will be some time available for a small individual research project to be undertaken. This will necessarily match the overall programme of research at Rothera, but will not be of sufficient size to be suitable for a higher degree.

Please quote the following reference for any queries: BAS 20/13
Closing date for receipt of applications form is: 31st March 2020
Interviews are scheduled to be held on: Wednesday 10th June 2020

As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and promoting equality in careers in science, we hold an Athena SWAN Bronze Award and have an active Equality, Diversity and Inclusion programme of activity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. People from ethnic minorities and disabled people are currently under-represented and their applications are particularly welcome.

Antarctic deployment involves working in a remote and harsh environment where adaptations to working, living and recreation areas are not achievable to a level that might be expected in the UK. There is a Genuine Occupational Requirement to be physically capable of negotiating rough, icy and snowy terrain as well as being mentally resilient and medically fit.