Aquaculture/Genetics Production and Research Intern (PT to FT)
Location
Bradenton, FL | United States
Job description
Overview:
Waterfield Technologies Inc, (WTI) in partnership with KMD is looking for part-time interns with options to grow to full time workers, interested in pursuing a career in freshwater aquaculture with an interest in sustainable food production. WTI is an agricultural services, sales, and research company that focuses specifically on aquaculture, hydroponics, and all the systems that interconnect these two production methods. Besides several key products, WTI has provided consulting services for several companies, manages its own laboratory, and has an ongoing research and development program in several countries. The current production focuses is on breeding multitrophic aquaculture seed for sale. Research focuses on key new products, systems, and genetics that improve yields and productivity in multitrophic aquaculture systems. Fundamentally WTI works at the intersection of animals, plants, and bacterial communities that all must work together for consistent operations as well as optimized yields and profits.
Currently focused just on work with Tilapia, but will be adding fresh-water shrimp and in time a range of fresh water mollusks.
Have a strong focus on developing species and systems to support production that are carbon-negative. I.e. more carbon is consumed/ sequestered in production than emitted. One of the few research and production areas globally that have a focus on solutions for reversing climate change.
An additional focus on lowering production costs to make aquaculture products so much less expensive to grow and purchase, that they help put ocean-overfishing out of business with more competitively prices products in markets.
This is a dual-job position, combining production work with some lab/ research work, and some office assistant work, on a ratio roughly of 50% production work and 50% lab/ breeding/ research/ office work. The split will depend on individual candidates skills and interest. Depending on preference, work could be all production based or all office based.
Looking for interns that can work two to three days per week (including weekend) depending on class schedules or more days if during summer months. Strong preference for candidates who can work for several semesters. We will be providing a lot of training and experience and want individuals that can help 'repay' this training by being around to help get real projects completed. For recently graduated students or during summers the company has temporary lodging on the property and can be provided free as part of the internship. Lodging can be available if transitioning to full time work.
A partial goal of theses internships is to grow candidates for full time employment with the company. Can be a great way to learn if this industry is what you like, want to turn into a career. Success is learning this is not for you as much as is starting a full time position with the Company. Internships are paid on a part time basis at competitive hourly rates.
The production work involves moving in and out of fish tanks, pulling nets and handling fish on a daily basis. You will be wet, several days a week. It can be hot and work can be physically hard. But being in the water helps cool. Nothing that requires excessive strength, no more than lifting 30 lb. bags of salt or feed, but across the day endurance is needed.
Production Responsibilities: - Individually or in teams of two, Select broodstock and stock in various tanks for breeding.
- Collect fry/PL and other juvenile species for growing out.
- Grading fry in grading nets - moving fry amongst grow-out tanks.
- Feeding fish and general hatchery chores/light maintenance of some equipment.
- Packing and delivery of products to a range of farms on the US east coast.
- Do water quality and parasite tests.
- Collect tissue samples from specimens, and coordinate with outside labs and geneticists for results analysis.
- Helping with zooplankton and alga production needed for early life stages
The Lab/ Office/ Research work, is just what it sounds - extensive work in the office, working on Mac computers, working with the FileMaker database and Excel spreadsheets, and online research. Work will be fast paced and as intellectually challenging as production work is physical .
Office/ Lab/ Research Responsibilities: - Gather, process, and analyze in-house breeding and production data.
- Entering production data in databases (FileMaker) / excel. Helping to generate reports.
- Working to help write parts of Grant's, or writing new Grants depending on skills.
- Helping with Office IT work. Helping wiht basic software updates and resolving inevitable software bugs.
- Assisting the President with special operations projects, quotes for equipment, business research areas.
- Help design and manage a range of research programs to improve production and broodstock genetics.
Qualifications:
- Graduate or undergraduate with a strong interest in environmental science, marine biology, aquaculture, or related fields with a preference of a 3.0 GPA, but open to individuals who do not test well in school but can demonstrate knowledge in the field with a strong work ethic, and aptitude for on-the-job learning.
- Good writing skills a plus - experience in grant writing and extra big plus.
- Interest in lab work as well as hands-on technical production work.
- Experience with Microsoft and Mac applications, attention to detail for data gathering, charts and checklists.
- Independent, self-motivated worker.
- Experience with FIleMaker a large plus!!
- Willing to get wet - work in fish tanks, sort and handle fish.
- Strong interest in reversing climate change and market based solutions to solving some of the worlds largest environmental problems, as well as a commitment to production work.
Job specifics:
- Entry level pay scale, with the opportunity to grow to new positions and new locations, the potential for international positions.
- Multiple opportunities for time-and-a-half for early AM packing jobs or extra pay for delivery to customers' farms.
- Part or full-time on-site housing is available depending on need or preference.
- A mix of physical work in the heat and humidity of Florida, combined with technical lab, research and computer work.
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