Marine Science Officer

Responsible to: Project Scientist

Principle place of work: CCC field base, Napantao, San Francisco, Southern Leyte, Philippines

Remuneration: This is a voluntary position and you will need to fund your own initial travel to/from site, visa and insurance. Accommodation, meals and on site project expenses will be provided free of cost. You will have the opportunity to gain your PADI Divemaster qualification, and will be certified as an Indo-Pacific Reef Check Eco-Diver Trainer.

Closing Date: 09:00, 7th December 2018

Date of commencement: 6th February - 29th July 2019

Contract duration: Six months 

Requirements

The successful candidate will be an amicable individual that presents a mature and responsible character. You will be a motivated and pro-active person that has the ability to think on their feet whilst being highly organised. The candidate will have excellent knowledge of marine conservation with a proven track record of data collection techniques (ideally Underwater Visual Census) through SCUBA in tropical settings, as well as holding a good understanding and knowledge of marine resource management and marine protected area development. Furthermore, you will demonstrate practical experience in teaching and have experience working alongside and managing small teams of volunteers. All the above attributes should be accompanied by a minimum certification of PADI Advanced Open Water.

Minimum

• A relevant BSc degree in marine biology, conservation biology or similar
• PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent (experienced)
• Marine ecological survey experience
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• A demonstrable passion for the natural environment
• Experience working with and around volunteers
• Teaching experience

Desirable

• A relevant MSc degree in marine biology, conservation biology or similar
• Teaching experience in a scientific setting
• PADI Divemaster or equivalent
• A current first aid qualification
• Previous experience with coral reef nurseries and propagation techniques
• Knowledge and understanding of marine resource management and marine protected areas
• Experience on a CCC (or similar) expedition
• Own personal dive equipment (incl. regulators and BCD)

Role:

The Science Officer (SO) is based in-country and is responsible for assisting the Project Scientist (PS) in the coordination and delivery of scientific and community outreach programmes. The position is a minimum six-month non-salaried post. The SO will be responsible for assisting with the conduction of CCC’s Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (LRCP), which shall include but not limited to:

Assisting the teaching of CCC training programme
Working with the Project Scientist (PS) to teach CCC courses in basic tropical marine, species identification and survey techniques following guidelines laid out by CCC Head Office staff. The SO is also expected to facilitate local education efforts in any reasonable manner which will enhance the objectives of the project and compliment the surveying programme.

Assisting the co-ordination of surveying
Working with the PS to co-ordinate field surveys to map habitats and inventory the species encountered. This includes management and guidance of the volunteers to meet the objectives of the surveying programme. The SO is also required to be available for volunteers to ask questions relating to the surveying and to answer these requests to the best of their ability.

Facilitate in the development of CCC’s new 2018 scientific approach
Working in collaboration with the Head of Science (Head Office), PS, project partners and key stakeholders to drive forward with CCC’s newly developed approach to determine the effectiveness of previous survey efforts (2013-2017). The SO will be expected to facilitate this approach by adapting necessary resources, whilst holding a key position within CCC’s science to offer critical analysis of approaches to ensure efficiency.

Management of scientific equipment
The SO must ensure that the scientific equipment and facilities are well maintained. These include a number of teaching resources and equipment for use on the surveys. The SO must also maintain an inventory of the scientific materials and submit requests for resupplies to maintain the specified level of stocks. The SO is also in a position to develop these resources further in collaboration with the Head of Science.

Provision of bi-weekly reports
The SO will be required to provide bi-weekly reports to the PS and UK Head Office staff summarising the progress of the training (if applicable) and the location of surveying conducted over the week, including any specific findings of importance. Any requests or queries should also be included. At the end of the project the SO will provide CCC with a report detailing the training, surveying and problems/ recommendations/ comments.

Other duties
The SO's responsibilities do not lie solely within the field of science. As a member of expedition staff, the SO is expected to assist the Field Base Manager (FBM) and other staff members in all areas of expedition management.

Professionalism
As a member of staff, the SO is a representative of CCC and therefore must maintain the highest level of professionalism at all times during the expedition. The SO must support both the FBM’s judgement in managing the expedition and CCC 's objectives of providing assistance to the host country in the development of resource management initiatives. Any grievances or problems experienced by the SO must be reported immediately and exclusively to the Head of Science and if necessary to the CCC Directors. The SO is responsible to the Head of Science and line managed in-country by the PS. 

Background

CCC is an award-winning non-governmental organisation (NGO) which provides resources to help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs and tropical forests. To achieve these aims, CCC recruits teams of paying international volunteers to finance and participate in conservation expeditions worldwide. The project in the Philippines has been established in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte (PGSL).

In 2002, the PGSL invited CCC to conduct research in Sogod Bay. This resulted in the formation of the Southern Leyte Reef Conservation Project (LRCP). The LRCP utilises trained volunteers to survey the region's coral reefs and provide training and conservation education opportunities for project counterparts. The aim of this is to develop local capacity and ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of marine resources throughout Southern Leyte. Between 2002 and 2013, CCC focused on implementing baseline surveys throughout Sogod Bay to obtain information on the distribution of fish and invertebrate populations, benthic cover and reef health. In 2013, having surveyed much of the accessible area in the Bay, CCC shifted its focus to concentrate on MPA monitoring surveys. Under this new protocol, surveys are implemented inside and outside of existing MPAs to evaluate their efficacy and in unprotected areas to assess their potential for MPA installation.

CCC lead scientific monitoring surveys of marine ecosystems to feed in to sustainable conservation management based on sound scientific recommendations. Working in close partnership with local communities that depend on the natural resources, the project aims to enhance natural resource management by developing an integrated programme that includes building local and national stakeholder conservation management capacity, increasing community awareness and developing education, and alternative livelihood programs. Furthermore, CCC have recently established a small coral reef nursery on their House Reef to promote best practice around Southern Leyte; providing additional techniques to mitigate and remediate detrimental stressors.

In 2018, CCC will be rolling-out their new approach that will aim to assess and evaluate established MPAs within Southern Leyte following their establishment from CCC’s recommendations. This new approach formulates a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) framework and will enable CCC to highlight key barriers to establishment of small-scale MPAs whilst promoting their positive use.

Application

Please submit an application form, 2-page CV and brief covering email to Tom Dallison, Head of Science at info@coralcay.org. Application forms can be found on our website at www.coralcay.org/careers/science-officer .