[Coral-List] PNG Field Consultancy

[llauck]

Short-term Consultancy:  

Ecological Survey Field Team Leader, WCS PNG Marine Program, Kavieng, PNG.

 

 

A specialist in the science and conservation of Indo-Pacific reef fish, the
Field Team Leader will oversee a five-month field survey in New Ireland
Province, Papua New Guinea.  WCS is working with several local communities
and non-governmental organizations to support three marine no-take zones and
one marine management area that will help meet biodiversity conservation
objectives while succeeding in the context of local use and customs.   

 

Ecological baseline surveys were conducted at four reserve sites and four
control sites between August and December 2006. The consultant will lead a
field team of three PNG junior field scientists each with 100-200 logged
scientific dives and will be expected to enhance their skills and provide
them with mentorship. The team will carry out follow-up ecological surveys
at eight sites between August and December 2007. Analysis and writing up of
the data will take place between fieldwork during this period and during
December. He will work closely with and report to the PNG Marine Program
Coordinator in Kavieng. 

 

 

Primary responsibilities are:

 

-         Lead a field team of three local scientists to complete ecological
surveys at eight sites in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea

-         Lead preparations for the fieldwork, including assessment of field
team skills, instruction in safety, updating of field and safety procedures
where necessary, equipment checking and leading of practice dives

-         Be responsible for management of fieldwork-related finances,
including: manage spending of fieldwork-related budget, including ensuring
that funds are spent on a schedule that will allow completion of the
fieldwork, maintaining records and receipts, and reporting on expenditures
in a format specified by WCS

-         In coordination with the Coordinator and the WCS field staff, help
represent WCS in the communities where the surveys will take place,
including seeking to understand local customs, respecting local mores,
encouraging open and transparent decision-making regarding cooperation and
consultation with communities, and ensuring that institutional commitments
to communities are fully honored

-         Mentor field scientists in field data collection and survey
methods and data analysis to a level where they are able to independently
continue ecological monitoring of the survey sites

-         Provide mentoring in fish identification and oversight in
invertebrate and coral identification 

-         Provide written evaluations of three field scientists' skills to
the Coordinator

-         Provide input to the development of Honors project proposals for
three field scientists

-         Maintain field and safety equipment in excellent working order

-         In cooperation with field scientists, participate in village
awareness presentations and advise community leaders on the long-term
management of their no-take reserves based on data collected in this field
survey and ecological and socioeconomic surveys completed in 2006

-         Guide three scientists in the analysis of data collected and
generation of appropriate databases

-         Assist three scientists to prepare reports from results from the
fieldwork

-         Where time permits, prepare in draft form one manuscript on
results from the fieldwork for publication

-         Where time permits, advise three field scientists on the
development of presentations of results from the fieldwork

-         Provide input to the Coordinator for reports on this work to the
donor, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

 

The consultant will travel in New Ireland Province by car (s/he must hold a
valid driver's license) and dinghy and will live in village settings for two
to three weeks at a time while conducting the field surveys.

 

The period of hire is from 15th July 2007 to 15th December 2007.

 

 

To apply:  please send cover letter stating your interest in the position
and a CV to hperks at wcs.org 

 

 

__________________________________________________

Liz Lauck

Assistant Director, Marine Program

Wildlife Conservation Society

2300 Southern Boulevard

Bronx, New York  10460  USA

 

t:  +1 718 220 2151

f:  +1 718 364 4275

e:  llauck at wcs.org