JIMAR Marine Turtle Field Camp Research Assistant

Under the guidance of the field camp leader and/or project personnel, works with the Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program (MTBAP) to assist with camp preparations, daily maintenance and operation of field camp, and collection of green sea turtle (honu) data at the Lalo, or the French Frigate Shoals atoll, within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), which resides approximately 500 miles northwest of the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) . Primarily works at night to collect nightly census data of nesting females, and identifies individual turtles through inserting passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags into flippers and Inconel metal flipper tags contributing to a long-term dataset and life history of individuals. Excavates nest remains and records hatching success to aid in ongoing honu population studies. Collects tissue (e.g., skin, blood) from honu of all life-stages. Global Positioning System (GPS) maps the geographical distributions of basking turtles, nesting activities, and the contour of the islands contributing to the long term time series of geographical information relevant to sea turtle nesting habitat. Takes thorough photographic documentation of individual turtles, including basking and nesting turtles, and photos of turtle tracks, false crawls, test pits, nests, and the island environment. Assists with Hawaiian monk seal field camp activities as assigned, and conducts boating operations at multiple-island atolls. Assists with return, repair, and cleanup of field equipment and supplies at the end of the field research season, and with the processing of field data. Will spend up to six (6) months camping on an isolated island, with only radio or satellite phone contact.