A job vacancy at Operation Wallacea

March 3, 1999
From: Tim Coles

Our ref: TC/plm1394

Dear Colleague

MARINE SCIENTIST POST MAY - DECEMBER 1999
SULAWESI, INDONESIA

We are looking for a Marine Scientist to join a survey of the Wakatobi Marine National Park in South East Sulawesi for a 6 month contract and I am writing to see if you know of anyone who might be interested in this post.
Operation Wallacea is a not-for-profit project in South East Sulawesi where paying volunteers have joined biologists to help complete species surveys of a newly created Marine National Park. A list of the project's achievements is enclosed which includes winning the Best Conservation Project in South East Asia Award in 1998 from ASEANTA. Further details of the projects that are being carried out by Operation Wallacea can be found at our website at http://www.operationwallacea.win-uk.net/.

We are looking for a qualified marine scientist with experience in Indo Pacific reefs to direct the marine science programme for 1999. The objectives of the programme are:

* to complete an interim review of the Opisthobranch fauna of the Wakatobi Marine
National Park. A year's worth of data has already been collected from the area and 170 species recorded. An outline for a paper which it is proposed to produce by April 2000 on the Opisthobranch fauna is enclosed.

* to complete surveys of the Chaetodontid species around the National Park.

* to compete surveys of the anemone fish and their host species around the National Park.

* to continue compiling species lists and photographs for species in various groups (eg sponges, tunicates, other fish groups).

Groups of volunteers (mostly final year undergraduates or MSc students)will join the project over the contract period and will need to be trained to identify the particular target groups (eg 2 or 3 Opisthobranch families) being studied at the time of their visit. The marine scientist will have to run a training programme and test the volunteers and once they are competent enable them to participate in distributional, abundance and other surveys for the study group. At the end of each week the target group being studied will change to a new group (eg butterflyfish) so that volunteers at the marine base will help survey a range of different organisms during their stay. Surveys will be conducted partly by diving
and partly by snorkelling and during July and August a dive ship (sleeps 15) will be available to take groups of volunteers on expeditions to more remote parts of the archipelago.

The Marine Scientist will be based on Hoga island in the Wakatobi Marine National Park and will have the support of two Assistant Scientists during the busy part of the season (June - September). The diving safety will be looked after by Dive Instructors and the operation of the expedition base, maintenance of equipment, management of local staff, etc will be carried out by the Expedition Manager. At busy times of year there will also be a photographer on site to record the species being studied and organise
photographic development.

The duties of the Marine Scientist would be:

· To agree the work programme for the 1999 marine species survey on Hoga with the Operation Wallacea Project Director before commencement of the surveys.

· To organise and direct the marine species surveys in Indonesia for Operation Wallacea

· To train new volunteer divers in how to identify the target groups for study and provide assistance to them with the survey work.

· To give background lectures on Indo Pacific coral reef eco-systems and their conservation to volunteer groups.

· To ensure that species data are recorded accurately by organising quality control checks on the volunteer-gathered data.

· To liaise with students preparing research papers on the Opisthobranch, Chaeotodontid and Serranid fauna of the Wakatobi for later publication.

· To carry out such other duties on Operation Wallacea as may be required from time to time to ensure the efficient operation of the project.

If you do know of anyone who might be interested I would be grateful if you
would get them to email me by 24 March 1999.

Thanks for your help.

Dr Tim Coles
Project Director

tcoles@ecosurveys.win-uk.net

Coles, T., 1999 (Mar 3) A job vacancy at Operation Wallacea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/631

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010