Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking a candidate to support to the NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources (OPR) in Silver Spring MD. OAI supplies personnel support services on contract to government and industry clients for marine fisheries and protected species.
The employee will support the OPR in providing acoustic expertise for the review of Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Incidental Authorization (ITA) projects. This is a full-time position based on 40 hrs. /week with generous employee benefits. Hourly rate is commensurate with experience. The position needs to be filled as soon as possible.
Duties:
- To facilitate the more timely, efficient, and effective review of acoustic modeling and monitoring products submitted in support of MMPA ITAs for FAST-41 projects (e.g., offshore wind and infrastructure), as well as ensure scientifically robust and legally defensible environmental compliance, the position requires detailed understanding of the properties of human-made underwater sound sources, how their signals propagate in the environment (e.g., based on water depth, substrate, temperature), and the mathematical principles underlying how these source and environmental properties inform transmission loss and sound propagation from specific activities (e.g., pile driving, geophysical sources, explosives).
- Review, evaluate, and compare acoustic source, sound propagation, and exposure models as necessary to support MMPA ITAs, including consideration of the appropriateness and sensitivity of inputs, descriptions of uncertainty, and accuracy of the results. Make recommendations for improvements to better integrate with, and serve the goals of, marine mammal and other protected species impact assessment frameworks, including optimizing output metrics and results presentation (e.g., graphics and figures).
- Review, evaluate and develop plans for acoustic monitoring and measurement of sound sources, ambient noise, and marine mammals. Make recommendations to improve plans and field measurement, including consideration of spatial, temporal, and spectral aspects, such as the placement and timing of recorders, platforms, and recording equipment specifications (e.g., sampling frequency, hydrophone sensitivity). Explicitly describe differences between varied monitoring and measurement approaches in terms of anticipated accuracy, precision, and uncertainty.
- Review and evaluates submitted acoustic monitoring reports for the same factors noted in the second and third bullets above.
- Support the development and implementation of technical guidance, methods, and analytical tools, for both internal and/or external use, to better assess and minimize the impacts of noise on protected species and their habitat (e.g., helping to establish sound field verification (SFV) guidelines).
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science degree or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study
- Three (3) years of experience in related field to the stated duties, or combination of education and experience totaling seven (7) years. Education beyond Bachelor’s degree can be substituted for experience.
- Knowledge of or background in implementation of MMPA.
- Strong technical writing and communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively both individually and collaboratively in a team/group setting.
- Ability to receive constructive feedback and implement appropriate action.
Location: Work may be performed offsite
Salary and Benefits: These are full-time positions with benefits. Salary: $33.00 to $37.00 per hour.
