Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation
Job Announcement
This is not a state position

Job Title: Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Wage: $60,000/year 1 and $64,000/year 2; position will be eligible to participate in medical, dental,
vision, and life benefits.

Position: This is a full-time, exempt, 2-year appointment. Continuation of this position is contingent upon
satisfactory performance and available funding.

Project Name and Location: Klamath Basin Abundance Estimation; Arcata, CA.

Supervisor: Dr. Nicholas Som (USFWS, COOP Affiliate) and Dr. Mark Henderson (USGS, COOP
Asst. Unit Leader)

Essential functions of the job: This two-year position will focus primarily on developing a method to
generate weekly-stratified abundance estimates of outmigrating juvenile salmonids that does not rely on
the availability of hatchery-reared fish, as needed to conduct mark-recapture experiments.

Brief background: Abundances of anadromous species have declined steadily in the Klamath Basin over
the last several decades. In recent years, adult returns of fall-run Chinook Salmon have been so low that
Iron Gate Hatchery has not been able to meet its annual egg take goal, resulting a dramatic reduction in
hatchery production. Given this trend, it is becoming increasingly likely that there will not be a sufficient
number of hatchery fish available to meet the defined mitigation goals of the hatchery program, as well as
to provide hatchery fish for the mark-recapture experiments. Additionally, four dams on the Klamath
River mainstem are slated for removal that is tentatively proposed to occur in January 2023. The most
downstream of these facilities, Iron Gate Dam, provides the water source for the Iron Gate Fish Hatchery,
which is also scheduled to be decommissioned. An alternate hatchery is proposed to be established on
Fall Creek, but its production capacity will be dramatically lower than Iron Gate Hatchery, and it is
intended to serve as a short-term supplementation hatchery for a limited number of years. Hence,
regardless of the abundance of returning adult salmon stocks in the near future, it is assured that there will
not be a sufficient number of hatchery fish available to conduct the mark-recapture experiments needed to
estimate annual abundance of outmigrating juvenile salmonids. Given the importance of the estimates
generated from this monitoring program, it is essential that a new method for computing statistically valid
abundance estimates be developed that is biologically and technically sound, cost efficient to implement,
and externally peer reviewed. The objective of this study is to develop this new methodology for
estimating abundances that does not depend on the availability of hatchery fish for mark-recapture
experiments.

Completion of these tasks will be closely coordinated with Project PI’s, who will aid in data acquisition
and collaborative discussions regarding all facets of task completion. Candidate will be responsible for
participating in and providing updates in monthly research coordination calls with Project PI’s and will
participate in technical meetings involving Klamath Basin scientists representing various agencies and
tribes, and professional specialties as they relate to this task.

The position is sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Fisheries Program (USFWS
AFWO) and the US Geological Survey California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
(CACFWRU) at California Polytechnic University Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University) in
Arcata, California.

Educational Component. The assigned individual will be supervised by Dr. Nicholas Som of the
USFWS, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office and Dr. Mark Henderson from the USGS CA Cooperative Fish
& Wildlife Research Unit. They will also receive mentorship from Dr. Russell Perry from the USGS
Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory. The selected candidate will
receive active mentorship in quantitative methods for modeling biological and physical processes in
riverine environments, preparation of manuscripts for journal publication, and preparation and delivery of
research presentations at professional meetings.

Minimum Qualifications: Ph.D., Sc.D., or other earned research doctoral degree recognized in the U.S.
academic circles as equivalent.

Application Instructions: To apply for this position please provide 1) a copy of graduate
school transcripts, 2) a curriculum vitae, 3) a 1-page cover letter explaining interest and
qualifications for the position, 4) the names and contact information for three references, when
you might be available to start the position, and 5) the SPF Employee Information Form for
Applicants via email to Nicholas Som, Ph.D., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at:
nicholas_som@fws.gov. Please direct any questions to Nicholas Som via the same email
address. A more detailed scope of work describing the tasks can be found on the CACFWRU
webpage: http://www2.humboldt.edu/cuca/

Application review date: Position is open until filled, with preferred start date in Summer 2022.

Cal Poly University Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation is an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race,
religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression,
sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, protected
veteran status, or any other legally protected status. More information about SPF’s Equal
Employment Opportunity hiring can be found here.

For assistance with the application process, please submit an Accommodation Request Form,
which can be found here, or contact ADA Coordinator at 707.826.3626 or confidential fax at
707.826.3625. For more information regarding accommodation, you may also visit the Cal Poly
Humboldt Human Resources website at https://hraps.humboldt.edu/reasonable-accommodation.
Individuals in need of a telecommunications relay service may contact the California Relay
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