Fisheries Technician 2- White Sturgeon Monitoring

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is hiring Fisheries Technician 2 for White Sturgeon Monitoring in Sacramento, CA. The role involves assisting with a fishery-independent mark-recapture study, a Guide Tagging Program, sonar surveys, and acoustic tagging of White Sturgeon. Responsibilities include data collection, gear maintenance, and summarizing project activities. The technician will also train charter captains on tagging protocols and data recording, contributing to the management of White Sturgeon, a candidate species for the California Endangered Species Act.
Job Description

Position/Project Specifics:

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is seeking self-motivated and high performing Fisheries Technicians to assist with a pilot fishery-independent White Sturgeon population dynamics monitoring. The positions will be stationed in West Sacramento, CA at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The individuals will work with a PSMFC Fishery Biologist, CDFW Environmental Scientist, and other PSMFC fisheries technicians to assist with the following four primary project components:
• Fishery-independent mark-recapture study using setline fishing.
• Guide Tagging Program to increase the number of sturgeon tagged in the marking component of the setline survey.
• Sonar surveys in the spawning reaches of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.
• Acoustic tagging of sturgeon handled during setline surveys.

The setline study’s mark-recapture data are needed to estimate abundance metrics (age-class abundance and relative abundance index) of White Sturgeon in the San Francisco Estuary. These data will be used to inform management for White Sturgeon, which became a candidate species for listing under the California Endangered Species Act in June 2024.

The Guide Tagging Program is a collaboration with fishing charter guides in the recreational sturgeon fishing community to encourage collaboration and citizen participation in data collection.

Sonar surveys in the upper reaches of the Sacramento and San Joaquin River will provide the data needed for estimating the number of spawning White Sturgeon adults, which can be used as an additional abundance metric for informing management controls in the recreational fishery. Additionally, information on the reproductive portion of the population can be paired with juvenile abundance indices from other data sources to establish spawner-recruitment relationships over time.

Lastly, acoustic tagging will provide insight on behavior and movement patterns in White Sturgeon as they migrate within the estuary and upriver for spawning activities. In addition to acoustic tagging, we will identify sex, and gonadal tissue samples will be taken for additional analysis.

The primary responsibilities of the position will be to assist with the daily operations of each project component, including data collection, deploying and retrieving fishing gear, maintenance and repair of gear, preparing bait, data summaries (sturgeon tagged, sturgeon recaptured), and field notes of importance to project supervisors (eg. repair/maintenance/purchasing needs, difficulties in the field). In collaboration with the Lead Biologist, the incumbent will contribute to drafting a yearly report summarizing project activities.

Additional responsibilities will include assisting the CDFW staff in training participating Charter Captains (Subcontractors) and crew in accordance with Guide Tagging Program protocols on tagging, safe handling of White Sturgeon, and data recording procedures. Tasks will include, but are not limited to, developing and distributing training materials, assisting with training on data collection and tagging protocols, promoting compliance with data collection and upload protocols, ensuring proper permitting of all Subcontractors, and distributing tagging equipment and gear to participating Subcontractors.

This position will be expected to perform setline surveys, sonar surveys, and tagging duties on various vessels at specific locations in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento River, and these duties may occur during the weekends and holidays. Fieldwork will be weather dependent and under a 4/10 schedule (four 10-hour days per week).

Essential Functions:

Included in this band are skilled technician positions. Some functions performed by employees can be identical to those performed by fishery biologists at the entry-level or advanced entry-level. The distinction in titling is intent. Positions in this group and pay band are not intended to lead to higher level, professional Fishery Biologist 2 positions.

(The functions listed below are characteristic of the type and level of work associated with this group and pay band. They are not all-inclusive. Individual positions may perform some or all, as well as other similar work.)
• Lead and participate in survey crews that conduct fishery presence/absence research, recreational/commercial fishing surveys, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, fin clips or tags, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens.
• Gather research data and organize information from fish samples or experimental projects.
• Lead crew in watershed and stream assessments and habitat surveys. May include stream habitat inventories (channel typing, habitat typing, woody debris, etc.), road inventories, and riparian inventories.
• Develop and install components of naturalistic environments. Assist with analysis of the behavior of different species in simulated environments. Videotape, photograph, and record data for characteristics such as growth, health, fitness, social activity, reproductive success, foraging success, and anti-predator behavior.
• Update database by entering, checking, and/or editing biological or habitat data that has been inputted on field forms, electronic data loggers, and/or desktop computers. Maintain, organize and provide access to databases. Write memoranda and short reports for transfer of data. Produce summaries including corrections. Produce presentation quality tables and graphs of data.

Knowledge Required by the Position:

Competency
• Initiative: identifies what needs to be done and take appropriate actions
• Communication: have the ability to make clear and concise written and oral communication to fishery scientists and to the general public
• Ethics and integrity: performs duties with professionalism, honesty, and earned respect of staff and other agency personnel

Science
• Knowledge of fishery management practices that includes fish population dynamics, fish biology, and stream ecology
• Experience in various fish sampling methods
• Ability to compile and collect neat and accurate data
• Competency in computer applications and software used to store and/or analyze data
• Scientific writing skills

Additional Mandatory Skills:
• Valid driver’s license
• ift 40-50 lbs.
• Repair and maintain equipment

Additional Desired Qualifications:
• Fish identification skills, specifically knowledge of species residing in the San Francisco Bay/Delta
• Previous experience handling and taking morphometric measurements of fish
• Experience collecting environmental data using water quality multiparameter sondes
• Experience deploying, maintaining, and repairing fisheries sampling gear

Physical Demands:

Demands can range from moderate-including walking, climbing stairs and ladders, reaching, lifting, bending, and strenuous sweeping-to rigorous. In the latter case, the employee must be able to handle buckets of water or gear weighing up to 50 pounds. Long daily periods of hiking, carrying equipment, swimming, and/or standing may be required. Camping out or living at sea in vessels with minimal amenities for extended periods may be required. Some work requires the ability to maintain footing in fast-moving water.

Work Environment:

A portion of the work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. The majority is performed in fish processing labs, fish holding areas, fish processing plants, and/or in the field. Incumbents may work on narrow, elevated walkways and platforms that are over or adjacent to water. Field work involves exposure to all types of weather, slippery rocks, trails, irregular terrain, insects, poison oak, rough or fast-moving water, or cold water temperatures. Work at high elevations or aboard boats, research vessels, or commercial fishing vessels may be required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
• A range of experience and education may be presented.
• At the lower end of the range, candidates must present one year of Specialized Experience** OR
• one semester of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position.
• An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying.
• At the upper end of the range, candidates must present one year of Specialized Experience** OR
• A year of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying.
• **Specialized Experience is experience that equips the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position being filled.
• To be creditable, Specialized Experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.