Storm Surge Monitoring Program Coordinator

Organization: The Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) is an advisory group to the Board of County Commissioners and part of the regional Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative. The MRC comprises largely of volunteer members who work with local and regional partners to protect and restore the marine and nearshore environments of East Jefferson County. For more information about the MRC and MRC projects, visit our website (www.jeffersonmrc.org).

Position Overview: The Storm Surge Monitoring Program Coordinator will support the development of an existing citizen science program focused on monitoring “total water level” during coastal flooding events. Monitoring total water levels captures the sum of parameters that contribute to coastal flooding events (i.e., tidal elevation, storm surge, wind direction and speed, fetch, wave runup, and bathymetry) that are not currently measured or provided in forecasts. This is a paid, part-time internship with 240 billable hours. Work hours and times will vary depending on project needs, including some weekends and evenings. The Storm Surge Monitoring Program Coordinator will be paired with an MRC mentor who will oversee and assist them in the completion of their tasks. There will be opportunities to help with additional MRC projects and field work as available. It is our goal that by the end of their term, the Storm Surge Monitoring Program Coordinator will have gained valuable job skills, problem solving abilities and diverse experiences that prepare them for the next step in their career.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Evaluate and/or develop data management systems for total water level monitoring data including entering previous reports into the new system.

• Work with app developers and assess the utility of a popular citizen science app as a tool for reporting total water level data for coastal flooding events

• Assist with developing a written total water level monitoring protocol, including visiting at least one established monitoring site to incorporate site-specific characteristics and reporting prompts

• Opportunity to assist with documenting at least one coastal flooding event

• Assess potential new monitoring sites in East Jefferson County

• Prepare a short presentation to share what you learned and accomplished during your internship to be given at an MRC monthly meeting

• Other duties as assigned