Description
Assist aquatic biologists and environmental scientists in field and laboratory settings. Set up, operate, and maintain boats and water-quality instruments, collect and process water, sediment, and biota samples, monitor aquatic experiments and habitats, record observations, and calculate and report results. May culture aquatic organisms and analyze water chemistry.
- • Keep detailed field and laboratory logs for aquatic sampling, husbandry, and maintenance activities.
- • Monitor field and lab procedures for compliance with sampling protocols, permits, QA/QC, and safety standards.
- • Collect, sort, and identify aquatic organisms and prepare, label, and preserve specimens for examination.
- • Use GPS, GIS, data loggers, computer-interfaced sensors, and ROVs to collect and manage data.
- • Assist research and monitoring by collecting water, sediment, and biota samples and operating boats and sampling gear at freshwater and marine sites.
- • Set up, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot water-quality sondes, CTDs, DO meters, pumps, nets, and other field and lab equipment.
- • Provide technical support for fisheries, aquaculture, habitat restoration, and environmental science projects.
- • Clean and decontaminate gear, vessels, and work areas to prevent cross-contamination and invasive species transfer.
- • Participate in aquaculture, hatchery, or restoration activities, including spawning, rearing, and release support.
- • Conduct standardized water and microbiological analyses (e.g., pH, temperature, turbidity, nutrients, chlorophyll, salinity).
- • Analyze and visualize data and prepare summaries, figures, and brief reports for project staff.
- • Prepare reagents, standards, and solutions; measure and weigh compounds and fish feed as needed.
- • Monitor tanks, aquaria, mesocosms, and field experiments; record environmental and production data.
- • Examine fish and invertebrates for disease, parasites, or stress; document findings.
- • Feed and care for fish and aquatic invertebrates; maintain life support systems and aquaria.
- • Enter and QA/QC field and laboratory data in databases and GIS.
- • Place orders and manage inventory for sampling consumables, reagents, and field gear.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
