Overview

Nature Seychelles requires a Technical Field Officer for a 2-year contract, with possibility to extend,
based on Praslin Island, Seychelles.

The post holder will be able to work in a team and be the senior person reporting to the project site
coordinator, while working with the Land Nursery Manager. He/She will be academically, technically and mentally self-sufficient. The project may be logistically difficult, perhaps with long hours. The post holder will have to work with, project consultants, field staff, volunteers and students to deliver the project activities successfully. This will include ability to work with people of different nationalities. The development of Seychellois and regional capacity in coral reef restoration and conservation is an important component of this project, hence the willingness and proven ability to facilitate capacity development and work with consultants to deliver training sessions is essential.

Responsible to: Team Leader and Project Site Coordinator

Qualifications & skills required
 At least 5 years working experience in coral reef management and research, within a project
framework context and preferably in the Indo-Pacific region, including at least 2 years in
coral reef restoration notably setting up and maintaining underwater coral nurseries and
transplanting nursery-grown colonies
 Relevant experience in land based mariculture nurseries.
 Excellent scientific and report writing skills (essential), scientific publication experience
(desirable)
 Academic credentials in coral reef ecology with relevant MSc or above.

Project Objective:
1. To improve food security and livelihoods and mitigate disaster risk through active restoration of coral reefs degraded by coral bleaching as a result of climate change in Mauritius, in order to restore their essential ecosystem services.
2. To improve food security and livelihoods and mitigate disaster risk through active restoration of coral reefs degraded by coral bleaching as a result of climate change in Seychelles, in order to restore their essential ecosystem services
3. To generate knowledge and understanding about the use of coral reef restoration as an adaptation measure for dissimination within the two countries, to other SIDS and also countries within the WIO and other regions, and to build capacity for this intervention in the WIO. By adopting a regional approach, it is expected that the stakeholders involved will develop technical and scientific partnerships as well as a common understanding that will enable them to promote the use of effective natural solutions in adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

 Certified scientific diver with superior technical skills (essential)
 Strong physical fitness essential and ability to work under physically demanding conditions
 English language – spoken and written fluency

Deliverable Project Objectives
 Establish a scientific framework for the project so the key outputs can be assessed,
replicated and publications generated
 Generate stock of coral colonies for the purpose of reef restoration. Set up and maintenance
of 10 underwater farms using the ‘reef gardening concept’. With the help of a consultant,
set up and maintain a land based nursery. Initiate seascape restoration of selected coral reef
habitats as a model for the Seychelles and the Region. The sites selected will be around
Cousin Island Special Reserve, with the aim to restore at least 1 Ha of Coral Reef.
 Upgrading the existing Tool Kit of best practice with new lessons learnt and experience from
the Coral Restoration Project.