Lecturer in Tropical Marine Ecology

Start Date:   

Anticipated travel and arrival to CMRS are scheduled for January 15, 2027. The selected candidate will participate in required virtual and on-site trainings as part of their onboarding starting the week of January 4, 2027. 

Compensation/Benefits:
Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package and on-site room and board included. 

Position Summary:  

The SFS Center for Marine Resource Studies, located in South Caicos seeks an enthusiastic, team-oriented individual to serve as part of a team of faculty and staff that delivers an interdisciplinary, hands-on learning experience to students spending a semester in South Caicos. On a contract basis, the Lecturer in Tropical Marine Ecology will deliver the 50-hour Tropical Marine Ecology course during the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, during fall and spring, they will co-teach the 50-hour Directed Research course with other faculty members, leading a faculty-developed directed research project with a small group of students. If the contract is extended into the summer, this position will assist in teaching two 50-hour summer courses, Tropical Marine Ecosystems: Monitoring and Management and Marine Fauna Ecology and Conservation. 

SFS programs are field-based and experiential. This position will engage students in a classroom and through extensive time spent in the field. We encourage faculty to integrate as much fieldwork and hands-on experience into their courses as possible.  

SFS programs do not follow a nine to five model. Faculty are also integral members of the Center’s communal living model, eating and working with the student cohort.   

Faculty are expected to be active members in the community-building process. Additional responsibilities outside of teaching may include participation in community engagement days, involvement in student life, organization of laboratory space, and general Center upkeep. We are especially interested in candidates with experience teaching to a diverse student body, and demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in a learning environment, conservation, and the Center’s host community.    

Center Focus:  

The SFS Center for Marine Resource Studies (CMRS), a field station located on South Caicos Island in TCI, is committed to providing educational and research opportunities to visiting students while collaborating with local stakeholders on setting the research agenda and sharing research outcomes. We operate year-round, delivering two semester and two summer programs. During program time, we operate a 6-day work week. The Center strives to make a meaningful contribution to the sustainable management of South Caicos marine resources and ecosystems, to the better management of the terrestrial environment, and towards the preparedness of the local community for the advent of mainstream tourism. The Center research activities are carried out in three areas: assessment and monitoring of marine environments, conservation and management of marine resources, and socio-economic conditions for development.   

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree, significant experience or scholarship, university-level teaching experience in Tropical Marine Ecology, or related field.   

• Field research experience, preferably in the fields of Queen Conch, Spiny Lobster, and Reef Fish Ecology; Tropical Coastal Zone Ecology; Marine Protected Areas; Coral Reef Monitoring; Marine Policy Formulation 

• Demonstrated ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary teaching and research team  

• Good track record of research publications  

• Certified SCUBA diver, Rescue or Divemaster preferred  

• Small boat handling experience 

• Demonstrated commitment to environmental issues 

• Ability and willingness to drive a standard-transmission vehicle, operate or travel by boat as required, and participate in field exercises and waterfront activities 

• Ability to safely lift, carry, and move materials or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds 

• Ability to walk on uneven terrain, swim/snorkel, board and travel on small vessels, work outdoors in tropical conditions, and respond effectively during emergency situations 

Expectations for Faculty Conduct:
The School for Field Studies strives to create and maintain a work environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency, and respect. The SFS environment is characterized by mutual trust and the absence of intimidation, oppression, and exploitation. SFS will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of employees, SFS seeks to prevent, correct, and discipline behavior that violates this policy. 

All offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check, which may include, depending on the candidate’s home of record and local requirements, a certificate of good standing or clearance from the local police precinct. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates and on all employees as deemed necessary. 

The successful candidate will provide high quality, modern and experiential teaching in critical environmental issues in an interdisciplinary curriculum and participate fully in the implementation of the Center’s five-year research plan that addresses these issues. The publication of research results is critical. The successful candidate will work closely with the lecturers in Socioeconomics and Marine Resource Management to deliver an interdisciplinary program through education and research in a field setting. 

Course Descriptions 

Tropical Marine Ecology: Marine ecology is the study of how marine organisms interact with their biotic and abiotic environments. In this course we will focus on the biological processes and trophic webs that exist in the ecosystems that dominate the shallow coastal areas of the tropical western Atlantic, i.e. mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs, as well as the behavior and biology of the organisms that inhabit them. Furthermore, we will explore the ways in which Marine Protected Areas, climate change and hurricanes can affect ecological processes, and we will learn some of the practical field data collection techniques that can be employed to assess marine communities. 

Tropical Marine Ecosystems: Monitoring and Management: This course is an interdisciplinary course that highlights key aspects of environmental assessment and management of tropical marine ecosystems. In addition, students explore sustainable development strategies for the Turks and Caicos Islands that are successful on a local and global scale. Students gain knowledge of subtropical marine ecosystem function and connectivity and begin to understand the most pressing challenges at the intersection of marine conservation and economic development. Students learn how to engage in management of local fisheries and coastal development and how to respond to the global phenomena of climate change and ocean acidification. 

Marine Fauna Ecology and Conservation: In this four-week summer course, we will explore the ecological importance and conservation status of macro- and megafauna that are prominent in the coastal waters of the tropics, namely elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), large oceanic and reef fishes, marine and coastal reptiles (sea turtles, island iguanas), and marine mammals and octopuses. The course will consist of lectures, workshops and field-based activities that provide students with an understanding of the diversity and ecological characteristics of these animals. Furthermore, the workshops and field activities will introduce students to the practical techniques that are commonly employed to study and assess marine fauna. 

Directed Research: This course provides students with the opportunity to apply ecological, biological, and/or social-scientific methods to a field research project that addresses a local issue related to the environment. We will also investigate the ways that various methods and theories distinguish (or don’t) fact from interpretation, cause from correlation, and advocacy from objectivity. The directed research topics are derived from the SFS Center’s Research Plan as defined by the Center staff and local stakeholders. Through the Directed Research project, students will contribute to a growing body of scientific research that informs local conservation and resource management decisions. SFS program lecturers lead a small group of students in this research component of the program. 

Applicants are encouraged to review the full course syllabi and programs descriptions on the SFS website: Marine Resource Studies – School for Field Studies