Summer REU position with COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team)

The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team has an open REU position for the summer, helping us assemble the elements for our new beached marine mammal guide. This position will work as part of an in-office team, completing duties related to the preparation and development of a new COASST marine mammal guide.

The position will begin on June 17 and last until September 13th, with some flexibility for time off or vacation. The REU project stiped is a total of $10,000, dispersed over the summer quarter. Expected working hours are ~40 hours/week (full time), in person at the Fisheries Building (COASST offices, FSH 254).

Major projects:

• Photos: with the goal of finding photographs of all target species as beachcast carcasses, in conditions ranging from fresh to skeletal/mummified, taken with a photo ruler or other scale, and including close-ups of the head, flippers/fins, and tail; conduct a photo search:
  • Query COASST marine mammal photo database for carcasses of all target species in a variety of conditions. Sort them according to the Level A carcass condition scale. Index and organize for easy retrieval. Train interns to support this ongoing task.
  • Determine which National Stranding Network photos are needed to “fill gaps.”
  • Search the web for photos of all target species as beachcast carcasses, and “fill gaps” with finds as appropriate.
• Literature review: conduct a thorough review of the literature on the target species searching for all publications which contain species’ measurements and “in hand” identification characters at species and higher taxonomic levels; published literature should include: academic publications, government reports, and published guides.
  • Create a database (e.g., Zotero) of all publications.
  • Create a flat file (e.g., Excel file) of all measurements and identification characters, with one sheet per species. This work will build upon previous work by COASST.
• Stranding Network Data: assemble measurements data from stranding network database for target species carcasses found in “COASST relevant” locations.
• Experts: from the literature review gather names/contact information for local experts (West Coast and Alaska) from across multiple sectors (tribal, government, academic, stranding network) who should be invited to participate in co-design workshops.
• Locations: based on COASST sightings data, make recommendations on locations (and possibly individual surveyors/survey sites) where the project should host in-community co-design workshops and protocol testing in Washington and Oregon.

Learning objectives:

• Use library search tools to find existing research
• Work collaboratively with other researchers
• Present results of research to other members of the team

Apply

Position Requirements: in-progress undergraduate degree; experience with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel/Spreadsheets.

Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of the COASST dataset and program; interest/experience in marine science/biology; literature reviews

To apply, contact jks18@uw.edu with a cover letter and resume.

Priority application review date is May 23^rd, 2024.