Research Associate I

About the Role

The Coral Recruit Technician is an integral part of the University of Miami’s Land-Based Coral Facility team at The Rosenstiel School on Virginia Key, FL. This position supports reef research and restoration conducted by the Coral Reef Futures Lab. Specifically, the coral recruit technician carries out the sexual propagation and subsequent care of Caribbean coral juveniles within the lab’s aquaculture facility and research spaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with the production, rearing, and outplanting of sexually derived coral recruits.
• Perform daily husbandry and maintain aquarium systems. Monitor coral health to identify and address issues as they arise.
• Coordinate daily and weekly husbandry activities, including developing and assigning tasks to student volunteers. Must adhere to and instruct based on standard operating procedures for coral systems.
• Assist with the diagnosis and resolution of plumbing, electrical, and other operational issues associated with aquarium systems.
• Coordinate with graduate students and other staff in the Coral Reef Futures Lab to support ongoing research efforts.
• Respond as a team member to system equipment failures in an on-call capacity, with the ability to think critically to diagnose and resolve issues in coordination with other team members.
• Participate in evening and nighttime coral spawning, fertilization, and larval care activities, with occasional work schedule changes to work on weekends or public holidays to accommodate these activities during the spawning season.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor’s degree in marine biology, environmental science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• U.S. citizenship, or valid U.S. work authorization.
• Knowledge of coral biology, aquaculture, marine science, and/or related fields.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with team members, researchers, and members of the public.
• Accountability and attention to detail, particularly when working with living organisms and time-sensitive husbandry needs.
• Ability to troubleshoot and communicate or delegate tasks effectively.
• Ability to work for several hours a day in outdoor shadehouse facilities in South Florida, which can be particularly warm and humid during the summer.

Preferred Qualifications/Competencies

• Experience with coral spawning and rearing sexually derived coral recruits.
• Experience with saltwater aquaria, coral husbandry, life support systems, and/or water quality.
• AAUS Scientific Diving certification.
• MOCC Boating certification.

Work Environment

• Most time will be spent at the outdoor land-based coral facility, though work also includes indoor systems, laboratories, and spawning tanks.
• Additional opportunities exist to support field efforts.
• Employees should be prepared to work up to 4-5 hours at a time outdoors and occasionally outside of the regular work week, responding to equipment alerts, and participating in nighttime spawning activities.
• Position occasionally involves physically demanding duties, including lifting and transporting items weighing up to 50 pounds.