Positions & News
Call for Applications: Potomac Chesapeake Dolphin Project June-September Field Research Assistant Opportunity
Field Assistants
Posted May 1
Background:
The Potomac Chesapeake Dolphin Project (PCDP) is seeking one dedicated research assistant for the upcoming field season (June-mid-September) in Reedville, VA. The PCDP is a long-term research project run through Georgetown University, and focuses on gathering life-history, ecological, and demographic data on Tamanend’s Bottlenose dolphins that seasonally use the lower Potomac River and mid-Chesapeake Bay. This field season will focus on continuing our research with drone-based monitoring, in addition to our routine long-term behavioral research and population monitoring efforts. For more details on our research and publications, please visit our website pcdolphinproject.org.
Field work is demanding and requires long hours both on and off the water, but the dolphin research is both fun and rewarding. Field assistants will gain valuable research experience and may have the opportunity to pursue independent research projects. We particularly encourage applications from those interested in pursuing graduate school in behavioral ecology or marine mammalogy.
Availability:
Field season runs from June 1 through September 15, 2025. Start date is flexible, but as close to June 1 as possible is preferred. Availability through September 15 is required, candidates who cannot commit to September dates will not be considered.
Pay:
This is a paid position, with a stipend of $1,000 for each month of work (total stipend will depend on the assistant’s exact availability). Additionally, housing and food expenses will be covered by the PCDP.
Field site:
Reedville, VA is a small town in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia, situated at the mouth of the Potomac River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. The nearby town of Heathsville (approximately 20 minute drive) has a grocery store, library, small shops, and a gym. Much of the land in the county is dedicated to farming, and many locals make their livelihood on the water, offering fishing charters, crabbing, or fishing for menhaden. Our living space is a shared cottage, with a small kitchen, shared bathroom, internet access and air conditioning. Housing and food will be covered by the PCDP, and the research team will share cooking responsibilities and other domestic chores.
Job responsibilities:
Research assistants will help collect extensive behavioral data from the boat, including surveys and focal follows on individual dolphins. Boat work is dependent on weather, but even on windy days we need to be ready to pack up and quickly get out on the water if the wind drops. Days on the water can be consecutive, long, and tiring in variable environmental conditions. Days on land require extensive, and tedious, data entry and processing. If you are interested in an independent research project, we will work with you to develop one.
Most of your time will be spent:
-Searching for and spotting dolphins
-Driving the boat
-Scribing data during surveys and focal follows
-Entering dolphin sightings and environmental data into the computer
-Doing basic maintenance and equipment prep and cleaning
Assistants are asked to work a demanding schedule both on and off of the boat. Given the weather (wind and storms), work may occur on both weekdays and weekends, as well as at varying times throughout the day, so the field team is on call from sunrise to sunset. Having this schedule is key to a successful field season, because data collection is dependent on weather and data are extremely valuable. Days on the water can be long with early start times and late end times, as well as hot during the summer/cold during the fall.
Eligibility & Qualifications:
As this position runs through September 15, we will consider applications from graduating college seniors or post-baccalaureates with a science background and a genuine interest in marine mammal science and behavior. Graduate students and undergraduates returning to their studies in Fall 2025 will not be considered.
This position is well suited for students of marine biology, animal behavior, zoology, ecology, genetics, or similar fields looking to gain additional analytical and in-field experience. Applicants must be able to work closely with a small team. We not only work together, but also live, cook, and eat together, so maturity, sense of humor, a positive attitude and a collaborative nature are critical.
The candidate must:
-Possess basic computer skills
-Be detail oriented, flexible, level headed, and patient
-Possess excellent verbal and communication skills
-Work well both independently and in a team
-Be fluent in English
-Be comfortable on a boat and working in a remote location
-Be prepared to work long, consecutive days, including weekends
The most essential qualifications are that you are flexible, conscientious, and hard-working, and are excited about the research.
Applications are open from May 1 until 11:59PM Eastern Time on May 10, interviews will be conducted via Zoom the week of May 12. Interested candidates should fill out an application here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5Wq9X3KWRTedCkMIrtzPUAA4PUzIcwwxWsQycJcaCa65aIA/viewform
The Potomac Chesapeake Dolphin Project (PCDP) is seeking one dedicated research assistant for the upcoming field season (June-mid-September) in Reedville, VA. The PCDP is a long-term research project run through Georgetown University, and focuses on gathering life-history, ecological, and demographic data on Tamanend’s Bottlenose dolphins that seasonally use the lower Potomac River and mid-Chesapeake Bay. This field season will focus on continuing our research with drone-based monitoring, in addition to our routine long-term behavioral research and population monitoring efforts. For more details on our research and publications, please visit our website pcdolphinproject.org.
Field work is demanding and requires long hours both on and off the water, but the dolphin research is both fun and rewarding. Field assistants will gain valuable research experience and may have the opportunity to pursue independent research projects. We particularly encourage applications from those interested in pursuing graduate school in behavioral ecology or marine mammalogy.
Availability:
Field season runs from June 1 through September 15, 2025. Start date is flexible, but as close to June 1 as possible is preferred. Availability through September 15 is required, candidates who cannot commit to September dates will not be considered.
Pay:
This is a paid position, with a stipend of $1,000 for each month of work (total stipend will depend on the assistant’s exact availability). Additionally, housing and food expenses will be covered by the PCDP.
Field site:
Reedville, VA is a small town in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia, situated at the mouth of the Potomac River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. The nearby town of Heathsville (approximately 20 minute drive) has a grocery store, library, small shops, and a gym. Much of the land in the county is dedicated to farming, and many locals make their livelihood on the water, offering fishing charters, crabbing, or fishing for menhaden. Our living space is a shared cottage, with a small kitchen, shared bathroom, internet access and air conditioning. Housing and food will be covered by the PCDP, and the research team will share cooking responsibilities and other domestic chores.
Job responsibilities:
Research assistants will help collect extensive behavioral data from the boat, including surveys and focal follows on individual dolphins. Boat work is dependent on weather, but even on windy days we need to be ready to pack up and quickly get out on the water if the wind drops. Days on the water can be consecutive, long, and tiring in variable environmental conditions. Days on land require extensive, and tedious, data entry and processing. If you are interested in an independent research project, we will work with you to develop one.
Most of your time will be spent:
-Searching for and spotting dolphins
-Driving the boat
-Scribing data during surveys and focal follows
-Entering dolphin sightings and environmental data into the computer
-Doing basic maintenance and equipment prep and cleaning
Assistants are asked to work a demanding schedule both on and off of the boat. Given the weather (wind and storms), work may occur on both weekdays and weekends, as well as at varying times throughout the day, so the field team is on call from sunrise to sunset. Having this schedule is key to a successful field season, because data collection is dependent on weather and data are extremely valuable. Days on the water can be long with early start times and late end times, as well as hot during the summer/cold during the fall.
Eligibility & Qualifications:
As this position runs through September 15, we will consider applications from graduating college seniors or post-baccalaureates with a science background and a genuine interest in marine mammal science and behavior. Graduate students and undergraduates returning to their studies in Fall 2025 will not be considered.
This position is well suited for students of marine biology, animal behavior, zoology, ecology, genetics, or similar fields looking to gain additional analytical and in-field experience. Applicants must be able to work closely with a small team. We not only work together, but also live, cook, and eat together, so maturity, sense of humor, a positive attitude and a collaborative nature are critical.
The candidate must:
-Possess basic computer skills
-Be detail oriented, flexible, level headed, and patient
-Possess excellent verbal and communication skills
-Work well both independently and in a team
-Be fluent in English
-Be comfortable on a boat and working in a remote location
-Be prepared to work long, consecutive days, including weekends
The most essential qualifications are that you are flexible, conscientious, and hard-working, and are excited about the research.
Applications are open from May 1 until 11:59PM Eastern Time on May 10, interviews will be conducted via Zoom the week of May 12. Interested candidates should fill out an application here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5Wq9X3KWRTedCkMIrtzPUAA4PUzIcwwxWsQycJcaCa65aIA/viewform
