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The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (“IMMS”), a private, non-profit organization located in Gulfport, Mississippi, is seeking motivated, dedicated, and experienced individuals to become part of our Animal Care and Training team.  Trainers will be responsible for all aspects of the daily care and training of marine mammals (dolphins and sea lions), exotic birds, sea turtles, and other animals at our facility.  For more information regarding our organization, visit our websites at www.imms.org and oceanadventures.us

Essential Responsibilities

• Participates in the primary care and trainer of resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California Sea lions, Exotic birds, sea turtles, and other animals at our facility
• Maintain Animal Exhibits
• Participates in behavioral enrichment
• Prepare food and feed according to established procedures
• Narrate animal presentations over microphone to large audiences
• Conduct educational animal encounter programming with public
• Assist Veterinarian during routine animal husbandry
• Maintain all feeding, behavior, training, and medical records
• Assess water quality and temperatures, record data, and report readings outside of normal parameters
• May plan and direct the work of junior trainers, interns, and/or volunteers
• Use of SCUBA equipment to clean exhibitory, provide animal care, and/or feed
• Be knowledgeable of governmental regulations (USDA) and policies for animal care
• Be able to work both independently and as a team
• Conduct in water Interactions and Encounters with resident animals
• Public speaking and presentations during outreach events
• Announce presentations over microphone
• Trainers may also participate in research studies, educational programs, and stranding response activities with live and dead stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, necropsies, and other activities of the organization.

Candidate Requirements

• Only applicants with a minimum of 2-4 years of paid full-time animal care/training experience with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California Sea Lions will be considered. (Internships and volunteer positions are not to be considered as part of experience)
• Candidates should be in good physical condition.
• Capable of lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Be good swimmers, preferably SCUBA certified.
• Able to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays, as scheduled.  
• Ability to spend much of the day outside in the elements including hot and humid weather. 
• Educational requirement includes, at minimum, a Bachelor’s degree.
• Candidates must be either U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and training of the applicant.
• 2-3 positions available at varying levels of experience.

How to Apply:

IMMS is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicant must submit the following documents:

• Current Resume
• Photograph illustrating your animal experience

Via E-mail:

• Please attach application documents (resume and photograph) as either a PDF, JPEG, or Microsoft Word document to hr@imms.org with “Animal Care Position and Training” in the subject line.

Population Ecologist

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) is located in Gulfport, MS and was established in 1984 for the purposes of studying marine mammals in the northern Gulf of Mexico. IMMS is also the only rehabilitation facility for marine mammals and sea turtles in Mississippi.

The Population Ecologist will be responsible for overseeing the daily aspects of the IMMS common bottlenose dolphin Photo ID program, including boat trips, data analysis and evaluation, and the preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Applicant should be legally able to work in the United States and fluent in written and spoken English.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct regular photo-identification surveys of the Mississippi Sound and surrounding areas, examining the population structure and ecology of the Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau bottlenose dolphin BSE stock
• Develop new lines of inquiry, building upon core research activities at IMMS
• Assist in project oversight and reporting
• Management of Darwin and FinBase databases
• Prepare grant/permit applications and reports as needed
• Assist with marine mammal and sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and release as needed
• Assist in the post-release monitoring of sea turtles and marine mammals through use of satellite tags
• Supervise staff/interns in the field and office settings
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals using new and existing data sets
• As needed, assist in lab-based marine mammal and sea turtle necropsies as well as field necropsies of marine mammals.

Desired Qualifications:

• PhD in Ecology, Marine Biology, Biology, or related field
• Ability to manage databases, such as FinBase (experience with Access a plus)
• Experience with ArcGIS and R
• Familiarity with the reporting process for marine mammal and sea turtle strandings
• Demonstrable knowledge of population dynamics and statistics

To Apply:

In order to apply please send your CV, cover letter, 1-2 copies of recently published works, and contact information for 3 references to moby@imms.org. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Start date is flexibly, and salary is commensurate with experience.