The Boyer Lab at San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center is recruiting part-time summer research assistants for the 2025 field season to assist with research on restoration and ecology of eelgrass in San Francisco Bay.
*Description*: Research assistants will participate in fieldwork and mesocosm (tank) experiments, and laboratory analyses. Activities will primarily center on the restoration and ecology of eelgrass, including restoration implementation and experiments on the effects of ocean acidification and local stressors on trophic dynamics in eelgrass beds. Activities will include: · Collecting and transplanting eelgrass shoots for restoration and mesocosm experiments · Conducting surveys of natural and restored eelgrass populations · Conducting mesocosm experiments and feeding assays · Maintenance of experimental mesocosms · Care of macroinvertebrates and fish, and maintenance of culture tanks · Construction of experimental systems and apparatuses · Processing of eelgrass shoots for physical characteristics · Laboratory analysis of eelgrass tissue for chemical responses to experimental treatments · Assisting graduate students with thesis projects, including fish and eDNA surveys *Qualifications*: · Interest in coastal restoration and ecology, climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems, and seagrasses · Coursework related to marine or coastal ecology, plant biology, or other related fields. · Previous field, laboratory and/or mesocosm experience in related fields · Ability to work effectively as part of a team · Applicants that can provide documentation of an MOTC boating certification may have the opportunity to drive boats. Training for this certification will not be provided; applicants without this certification will be equally considered. · Ability to maintain a positive attitude while working in physically difficult and uncomfortable conditions *Physical demands: * · Ability to work in difficult environments typical of San Francisco Bay including mud, cold water (in a wetsuit), cold and hot air temperatures, and inclement weather · Ability to swim · Ability to work on small boats · Ability to lift 50 lbs. *Schedule*: 15 hours per week on average for three months. Research assistants should expect to work up to full time during weeks of low tides and when we are setting up or breaking down experiments at the lab, and less on the in-between weeks. Work days will include weekends and holidays. Start times may be as early as 4 am, based on the tides. During fieldwork weeks over low tides, you may work up to 5-7 days consecutively for 4-10 hours per day. *Compensation and date range*: Research assistants are expected to work 180 hours during the period of May 1 – August 31, 2025 (flexible start and end dates possible within that range; must be able to start by May 25), at a rate of $19.50 per hour. There is the possibility to extend the position through September. *Housing and Transportation*: Housing is not provided; a personal vehicle is required in order to access the lab (Tiburon, CA) and field sites (various, San Francisco Bay area). <https://eoscenter.sfsu.edu/> *To apply*, please prepare a one-page cover letter including the following information: a) Your preparation for this position, b) A description of how this training will be valuable to your career goals, and c) Your dates of availability from May 1 – August 31, 2025. Please send the cover letter, a resume or CV, and contact information for three references to Margot Buchbinder at mbuch...@sfsu.edu by March 31, 2025, with the subject line ‘Summer Research Assistant Application LastName FirstName’. https://www.katboyerlab.org/ https://eoscenter.sfsu.edu/ *More on the work environment*: Field and laboratory methods, equipment, and safety training will be provided. Work conducted in the Boyer lab can be extremely strenuous, uncomfortable, and draining. Eelgrass beds are accessed on extremely low tides, the timing of which are outside of our control and typically occur early in the mornings, including weekends and holidays. For example, we will be in the field over Memorial Day weekend due to excellent low tides. Tides shift slightly later each day, so fieldwork weeks may start with meet times as early as 4 am, and then gradually shift later so that meet times at the end of the week approach the more reasonable hour of 6 am. Access to field sites is either from shore or by small boat. Conditions in San Francisco Bay are highly variable and localized. We follow established safety procedures and will cancel or modify boat fieldwork if conditions are unsafe, but it is common to be out on the water in uncomfortable levels of wind and waves. Applicants must be safety-minded, willing and able to follow instructions as a member of the boat crew, and able to handle bumpy boat rides. San Francisco Bay eelgrass beds are sometimes sandy, providing easy access. We visit those beds approximately 3 days per summer; the rest of the time, we’re walking through mud. Sometimes you sink in to your calves, sometimes to mid-thigh. Walking is difficult, and beds can be as far as a quarter mile from shore. We have developed various methods of efficient movement across mud flats, but regardless it is very difficult to move about. Work is typically conducted in wetsuits, so the team is able to stay warm in cold bay waters (spring-summer water temperatures approximately 15-18 °C / 60-65 °F). Applicants must be comfortable spending long hours in wetsuits, including putting on damp/cold wetsuits in the morning, wearing constricting suits for up to 10 hours, and everything that comes with that. Most people pee in their wetsuit when in the water, sometimes intentionally to help warm themselves up. But there are lots of positives, too! The bay is an incredible place to do research, and the work is very interesting and valuable to understanding the intricacies of the bay’s ecosystems and their management. People who enjoy their experience in our lab are willing to tolerate the above conditions because we don’t mind them that much. Please consider whether you would fall into that category. We value personnel who keep a positive attitude throughout difficult and stressful work conditions. 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