Assistant Marine Coordinator

The Assistant Marine Coordinator (hereafter, the “Marine Fellow”) will participate in full-time capacity for two years in the Marine Conservation Fellowship Program (MCFP), implemented jointly through a partnership between the Hawai‘i Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Services Center. The goal of the MCFP is to train Marine Fellows to become the next generation of marine conservation leaders in Hawai‘i.  The program is designed to build a cadre of well-qualified, experienced marine resource managers who will provide critically needed leadership for the sustainable management of Hawai‘i’s marine resources.  Two (2) Marine Fellows will be recruited for the next fellowship class of 2012-2014, based in Honolulu.  Additional information on the MCFP and what applicants should expect under the fellowship experience is available online at http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/hawaii/marine/art30309.html

The MCFP provides an opportunity for professional development by training Marine Fellows in a variety of professional skills and providing opportunities to conduct marine conservation fieldwork.  The first year of the fellowship program will focus on professional development and skills building.  Areas of professional development include project management, strategic planning, basic biological, climatological, hydrological and other relevant sciences, biological and sociological monitoring, the application of various marine conservation tools, technical writing skills, leadership and organizational skills, etc.  During the second year of the fellowship, each Marine Fellow will continue their professional development while also completing a special project, applying the knowledge and skills they have learned over the previous year. 

During both years of the fellowship, the two Marine Fellows will assist in the development, implementation, management, monitoring, and coordination of community-based marine conservation projects implemented by TNC and NOAA throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.

The fellowship experience will operate from a foundation of science, and incorporate both traditional knowledge and contemporary resource management approaches.  Applicants are expected to bring ideas on how their fellowship experience can be used as a vehicle to integrate and communicate science and scientific concepts in concert with traditional knowledge and customary practice with the public, including community groups, user groups and stakeholders, and other professionals.  Scientific skill development during the fellowship experience will include qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Primary duties and functions of a Marine Fellow include:  

• Actively participating in a two-way learning program.
• Documenting work and learning progress through a journal and quarterly reports.
• Assisting TNC and our project partners in planning, managing, monitoring, and assessing the conservation effectiveness of community-based projects.
• Coordinating and participating in community volunteer events at TNC and NOAA project sites.
• Interacting respectfully and intelligently with our community partners.
• Cultivating relationships with community, government, and other partners.
• Assisting in the development and implementation of conservation action plans.
• Interacting regularly with previous marine fellowship program graduates.
• Building and managing project databases in a variety of software programs (e.g., Excel, ArcGIS).
• Monitoring biological and human-use indicators at our project sites.
• Removing invasive coastal and marine species.
• Monitoring and researching species and native habitats.
• Providing feedback on and contributing to the growth of the MCFP.
• Assisting in the training of staff, interns and volunteers.