Download Nearshore Fisheries Oceanographer

Nearshore Fisheries Oceanographer
Recent changes in oceanographic and climate conditions are having major impacts on coastal
resources – with expectations of significantly greater impacts in the future. This new position
recognizes the need to conduct research and education associated with nearshore marine
biological processes, especially as they relate to nearshore fisheries, aquaculture, and ecosystem
services. This will be a joint position with CEOAS, but housed at the Hatfield Marine Science
Center (HMSC), and the first joint tenure track position between CAS and CEOAS (Earth
System Division Colleges). This position will meet critical needs in research, teaching, and
outreach. This position is expected to conduct applied research and develop an outreach and
teaching program that will generate significant benefits for mitigating and adapting to climate
and oceanographic related changes for renewable nearshore marine resources.
Justification and Support:
Fundamental changes in nearshore dynamic processes (associated with the California Current
System) are having major impacts on fisheries, aquaculture, and other renewable marine
resources. Over the last ten years the Pacific Northwest has witnessed unprecedented
occurrences of major anoxic zones in the nearshore environment, in part due to strong upwelling
events. These events have also resulted in the acidification of nearshore waters that have had
major impacts on the larval stages of mollusks – especially oysters – due to the effects on shell
formation and calcification. The resulting losses in hatchery and natural production of larvae
have caused a “seed” crisis for the West Coast shellfish industry, valued at over $100 million
annually.
There are concerns that these same processes are also having direct impacts on nearshore
fisheries such as Oregon shrimp and Dungeness crab (both calcifying species) and indirect
effects on food webs supporting other West Coast fisheries. These changes, along with
increasing water temperatures, interact in complex ways via nearshore oceanographic and
biological processes, such as algal production, microbial respiration, as well as freshwater and
nutrient inputs from coastal sources. Unfortunately, global climate change predictions indicate
that these trends will continue to intensify in the future, likely impacting a broad range of
fisheries – see NOAA’s draft climate change strategy http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/national-call-for-comments
The focus of this position will be to better understand the direct and modified effects of these
dynamic oceanographic changes on marine ecosystems, with emphasis on species of economic
importance to Oregon’s coastal fisheries and aquaculture industries. Besides research and
outreach, this position will also play a vital role in the OSU Marine Studies Initiative (MSI) and
expansion of the HMSC campus. As an integrative and relatively new interdisciplinary field it
will bring together faculty from CEOAS and other Colleges and departments on the main
campus with HMSC faculty and co-located agency scientists.
The position is expected to teach two to three classes (at least one graduate) on climate and
oceanography effects on nearshore fisheries, aquaculture, and ecosystem services and develop a
experiential “laboratory” for students to study the effects of global climate change on marine
resources. The position will help integrate and coordinate collaboration across many of Oregon
State University’s marine organizations including COMES, CEOAS, Integrated Biology, Oregon
Sea Grant, as well as co-located federal and state agencies at HMSC, including NOAA’s Alaskan
and Northwest Fisheries Science Centers, EPA’s Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as researchers in other institutions.
The position is consistent with Initiative 5 in the OSU Strategic Plan, Goals 2 and 4 in the CAS
Strategic Plan, and most objectives in the COMES strategic plan. The position is supported by
CEOAS, the Oregon Seafood Commissions, ODF&W, and various marine colleges and
department on campus (supporting letters can be supplied).
Anticipated Salary Range: The position is a 12 month 0.75 FTE reflecting primary
responsibilities in Research, Teaching, Outreach, and Service. The CEOAS Dean, Mark Abbott,
is very supportive of the position and is willing to commit 0.25 FTE support and develop
arrangements to share returned overhead and administrative costs. Although there are some
CEOAS faculty working on climate change, this would be a new position for CEOAS since it
focuses specifically on nearshore fishery and ecosystem services. However, he believes the
position is better structured as a 12 month 0.75 position and encourages the CAS Deans to
discuss the relative advantages of a 12 month position. He agrees the position should be housed
at HMSC and lab space can be potentially shared with other HMSC researchers. Salary range is
between $70 to $80,000 annually depending on experience. This will be an Assistant Professor
position.
Likely Start-Up Costs: Expected costs are approximately $150,000 $200,000 (graduate student,
lab equipment, partial salary, travel). Neither COMES nor CEOAS has start-up funds of this
magnitude -- this will require support from the Research office and the College.
Promoting Diversity: We will work aggressively with the search committee to ensure that
the position is advertised nationally and internationally in leading journals, professional
websites, and newsletters. We will ask the search committee to directly contact all qualified
colleagues and electronic networks, including those in the field of marine biology and
ecology which support women and minority scientists. The position will be structured consistent with recent OSU policy: Faculty at Oregon State University are committed to undergraduate and graduate student success. We seek faculty who have evidence of educating and mentoring a diverse group of learners, which may include experience with sponsoring student research or internships, developing study abroad opportunities, service learning courses, or the use of innovation pedagogies such as hybrid or online learning. Oregon State University’s commitment to student success includes hiring, retaining, and developing diverse faculty to mentor and educate our undergraduate and graduate students from entry through graduation. OSU’s Strategic Plan (http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/strategicplan/phase3) articulates the strategies that are critical to advancing and equalizing student success. As part of this commitment, OSU has established a hiring initiative for 2014-­‐15 that is designed to support these strategies. Integrating Across Functions and Units within the College: This is an interdisciplinary
oceanographic position and like many other COMES faculty, will be expected to integrate
applied scholarly research, outreach, education, and service. The position is expected to work
with colleagues within COMES, CEOAS, Sea Grant, HMSC, F&W, Integrated Biology, and
various state and federal agencies co-located at HMSC including NOAA, NMFS, F&W Service,
EPA, and ODF&W. This position will be expected to be a leader in working with colleagues
and constituent groups across the region and state including Oregon’s fishing and natural
resource industries and coastal communities.
Priority: This position is our unit’s second highest priority.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
POSITION:
Nearshore Fisheries Oceanographer
FTE:
• 1.0 FTE, 12 month, 0.75 tenure track position
• 0.30 FTE AES
• 0.20 FTE CEOAS
• 0.25 FTE Teaching (E&G)
ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS: Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
LOCATION
Hatfield Marine Science Center
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
Establish a nationally recognized program in Nearshore Fisheries Oceanography with a major
focus on marine nearshore dynamic processes and climate change. Contribute to developing
approaches to recover, adapt, and mitigate impacts on estuarine and marine environments as well
as coastal fisheries and aquaculture. As a member of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment
Station, he/she will be expected to work closely with coastal communities, and federal, state, and
private organizations.
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP (55%)
Research will focus on nearshore dynamic processes impacting fishery, aquaculture, and other
marine resources due to the effects of changing oceanographic conditions including upwelling
and global climate change. These changes are projected to result in greater ocean acidification,
hypoxia, as well as elevated seawater temperatures and will be modified by nearshore
oceanographic and biological processes, such as algal photosynthesis, microbial respiration, as
well as freshwater and nutrient inputs from coastal sources. The focus of this position will be to
better understand the direct and modified effects of these dynamic oceanographic changes on
marine ecosystems, with emphasis on species of economic importance to Oregon’s coastal
fisheries and aquaculture industries.
The researcher will be expected to collaborate with State and Federal agencies located in
Corvallis and at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), including NOAA’s Alaskan and
Northwest Fisheries Science Centers, EPA’s Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as researchers in other institutions.
ASSIGNED DUTIES (45%)
Teaching and Advising (25%): The position will teach two courses per year: 1) One upperdivision course will focus on nearshore oceanographic and biological processes that affect
fisheries and other marine resources and how these processes are affected by dynamic
oceanographic forces and global climate change. The second course will be at the graduate level
and will focus on a more specialized aspect of global climate change and nearshore marine
ecosystems, such as computer modeling, nearshore seawater monitoring systems and laboratorybased projects at HMSC and elsewhere. The courses will be expected to strengthen shared
instructional programs on the main campus and at HMSC.
Outreach (10%): This position will extend research work to mitigating and responding to
ongoing or predicted major oceanographic events and longer term trends related to climate
change with stakeholder groups including private fishery and aquaculture organizations, state
and federal agencies, private non-profit organizations, and coastal communities.
Service (5%): The position will provide services appropriate to the assigned duties and of value
to the Departments, Colleges, University, and profession.