Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture Junior Specialist (Kapuscinski-Sarker Lab)

The University of California, Santa Cruz is hiring an Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture Junior Specialist for the Kapuscinski-Sarker Lab. The role involves conducting research at a rural farm near Pescadero, CA, maintaining aquaculture systems, collecting data, and assisting in project reporting. Applicants with experience in aquaculture, research methods, and project management are encouraged to apply. Travel to the rural site is required, indicating a non-remote position.
Professor Anne R. Kapuscinski in the Environmental Studies Department (ENVS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for the position of Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture Junior Specialist.

Overview of unit: The selected candidate will be part of the Kapuscinski-Sarker Lab on ecological aquaculture, focused on the Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture research project at a rural farm location near Pescadero, CA, as well as our bench lab at the UCSC campus.

Core Functions/duties:
• Complete the final phase of three research experiments in Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture at a rural farm site near Pescadero, CA. This involves three main responsibilities:
(a) Maintain complex airlift pump recirculating aquaculture system and quickly resolve technical problems to assure fish life support and availability of suitable aquaculture backwash water for plant irrigation.
(b) Conduct daily experimental procedures and well-organized data collection of fish and plant life support variables.
(c) Plan and implement steps to terminate the three experiments including fish, water, plant and soil sampling, time-sensitive sample processing, certain data collection, and sending certain samples to external labs for specific analyses.
• Assist Professor Kapuscinski in drafting a major project report and visuals due in August 2025.
• Co-develop a plan and implement final plan for hiatus of recirculating aquaculture systems at the off campus farm site, and update relevant digital documentation.
• Proactively coordinate with Prof. Kapuscinski on all functions and, as appropriate, with undergraduate students, farm site collaborators and relevant members of Kapuscinski-Sarker Lab.

The position will require the incumbent to consistently demonstrate effective communication skills.

Applicants with any of the following areas of expertise and/or experience are strongly encouraged to apply: project management experience; hands-on research experience with life-support maintenance of airlift pump recirculating aquaculture systems; experience with integrated aquaculture-agriculture research methods: RAS water chemistry, microalgae feed-making & feeding, fish performance metrics, collecting & processing soil, plant & water samples; research experience for methods of aquaculture water chemistry, nutrient metrics and water sample collecting for metagenomic analysis; research experience with methods for soil chemistry and nutrient metrics and sampling for metagenomic analysis; research experience with native plant establishment and rapid growth metrics - wet and dry weights of leaf, stems and roots- and leaf area; experience with UCSC research procedures for ordering supplies and submitting travel claims; experience with IACUC protocol for fish care; and/or project involvement of undergraduate assistants or interns.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The selected candidate will be required to arrange their travel to and from the rural project site located near Pescadero, California. Therefore, the incumbent will be required to hold a valid driver's license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program.

The hiring unit will not sponsor employment-eligible immigration statuses for this position.