Cephalopod Culture Operations Specialist

Marine Biological Laboratory - Falmouth, MA

Full-time

Falmouth, MA

Educational Services

About the position

The Cephalopod Culture Operations Specialist plays a crucial role in the Marine Biological Laboratory's (MBL) Cephalopod Program, focusing on animal care and research responsibilities. This position involves the general husbandry of various cephalopod cultures and the application of associated research techniques. The specialist will work towards the continual refinement of cephalopod culture and husbandry methods, which includes designing and constructing systems for the care of these animals. The role also requires serving as an experienced resource for interns and volunteers, assisting with relevant research related to the breeding program, and occasionally conducting tours and outreach events for both the scientific community and the local public. Key responsibilities include constructing and maintaining both open and closed cephalopod systems, assisting with the research priorities of the breeding initiative, and maintaining multiple cephalopod cultures while developing new culture techniques. The specialist will also train and supervise co-op interns and volunteers in daily operations, assist with all aspects of cephalopod husbandry, including animal feeds, system rounds, egg harvesting, and general maintenance. Additional tasks involve life food collection and culture, data recording and analysis, and the quantification of novel research findings. The specialist will also assist with the transport, accession, and deaccession of animals, perform necropsies, and implement water quality monitoring devices to ensure optimal living conditions for the cephalopods. The role requires monitoring and observing animals for signs of disease or stress, developing innovative designs to improve cephalopod culture and hatchling survivorship, and researching, optimizing, and standardizing bobtail squid culture methods for the global research community. The specialist will also interact with media, donors, schools, and the general public on behalf of MBL, assist the Manager of Cephalopod Operations in developing workshops, and nurture working relationships with other labs, institutions, and aquariums. Furthermore, the specialist will assist with population management of lab animals, lead tours for visiting researchers and donors, and advise on the care and culture of cephalopods.

Responsibilities

• Construct and maintain open and closed cephalopod systems.
• Assist with research priorities of breeding initiative.
• Maintain multiple cephalopod cultures and develop new culture techniques.
• Train and supervise co-op interns and volunteers during day-to-day operations.
• Assist with all aspects of cephalopod husbandry including animal feeds, system rounds, egg harvesting, and general maintenance.
• Collect and culture live food.
• Record and analyze data; quantify novel research findings.
• Assist with transport, accession, and deaccession of animals.
• Perform necropsies.
• Implement water quality monitoring devices; monitor systems, water quality, and life support equipment 24/7 via mobile alerts.
• Monitor and observe animals for signs of disease and/or stress.
• Develop new innovative designs to improve cephalopod culture and hatchling survivorship.
• Research, optimize, and standardize bobtail squid culture methods for the global research community.
• Interact with media, donors, schools, and the general public on MBL's behalf.
• Assist Manager of Cephalopod Operations in the development of cephalopod workshops.
• Nurture working relationships with other labs, institutions, and aquariums.
• Assist with population management of lab animals by determining working broodstock pairs, manipulating genetics, and arranging ideal quantities for each life stage.
• Assist with the interview and hiring process for interns.
• Lead tours of the facility for visiting researchers and donors.
• Advise visiting researchers on care and culture of cephalopods.
• Lead CRISPR meetings with associated staff and researchers to update on cephalopod transgenic lines.
• Assist with creation of invoices and quotes for animal deaccessions.
• Swab squid to determine genotype of transgenic squid and train staff and researchers on proper techniques.
• Restock daily use supplies in mariculture and make POs/reorder.
• Be on-call and respond to after-hours power outages or system malfunctions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience in animal care and research required, or Master's degree and at least 1-2 years of experience preferred.