The Ecosystems Center is seeking a full-time, year-round Research Assistant I or II to participate in a new research project on CO2 exchange and vegetation canopy structure of arctic tundra ecosystems. Exact position will depend upon previous education and experience. In the field, the principal tasks of the assistant will be to participate in measurements of whole-system CO2 exchange using an infrared gas analyzer system, to measure canopy reflectance using a scanning spectroradiometer, and to make ancillary measurements of soil and canopy microclimate, leaf area, and biomass. In the laboratory, the assistant will participate in data analysis and comparison, in drying and weighing plant and soil samples, and in chemical analysis of plant tissues and soils. Experience with any or all of these techniques is desired.
The expected starting date is flexible but should be sometime between January and May, 2009. Applicants should be college graduates with BS or MS degrees, with significant course work and/or field experience in ecology. Candidates must be able to spend most or all of the summer months in a field camp, Toolik Field Station, in northern Alaska; travel to other arctic sites is also planned. During the fall, winter, and spring months the assistant will work at the Ecosystems Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Familiarity with spreadsheets and data analysis and with laboratory chemical analysis of ecological samples is desired. Physical Requirements Applicants should be in good health, capable of rigorous outdoor activity (often in foul weather), and prepared to live in a field camp where cooperation with others is essential, personal privacy is limited, and living accommodations are spare and simple. Special Instructions to Applicants: Unofficial Transcripts are required documents, but may be uploaded with your application via this web- site or faxed to the Human Resources Office, 508-289-7931. If faxing, please reference this posting. Apply online at mbl.simplehire.com An Equal Opportunity Employer
