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Workplace: Tadoussac (Québec, Canada)

Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM)

Job summary

Do you want to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the whales of the St. Lawrence and enjoy sharing your knowledge with the public? Do you want to be part of a stimulating work environment and contribute to its success? Join our dynamic team and fill your professional experience with whale stories!

This summer, you will be working at the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) in Tadoussac, in the heart of whale country. You will share your passion and knowledge with visitors, in the company of the largest collection of whale skeletons in North America.

About the organization

Founded in 1985 and based in Tadoussac, the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals is a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research on the whales of the St. Lawrence and education for the sake of marine conservation.

GREMM operates from its base in Tadoussac, at the Marine Mammals Interpretation Center (CIMM). The GREMM is a small team marked by the passion and versatility of its members, whether they are researchers, biologists, naturalists or attendants. Our mission: greater understanding for better protection. Our method: study whales and tell their story. We invite you to come and discover us!

To learn more about the organization: gremm.org and facebook.com/GREMM1985

To learn more about our work: baleinesendirect.org/en/

What you will do

As a naturalist, you have a key role to play in communicating and popularizing science to visitors. With your interventions, people are touched and better understand the issues facing the whales of the St. Lawrence. They are thus more inclined to protect them.

Your main place of work, the CIMM, is the reference and news center on the whales of the St. Lawrence and its visitors come from all over the world! Its exhibition showcases a collection of skeletons that is unique in Canada. GREMM also provides interpretation at Parks Canada’s Pointe-Noire interpretation and observation site. Here are the main tasks of the position:

• Welcome visitors to the CIMM, inform them about the visit, the activities and the mission of the organization
• Carry out cash transactions (admission fees)
• Answer visitors’ questions about the region and its tourism offer
• Answer visitors’ questions about whales, the marine environment, scientific research and the history of the North Shore region.
• Animate different capsules and activities about the whales and skeletons of the collection
• Interpret the natural and historical heritage of the region by meeting with visitors at various sites
• Develop your communication and heritage interpretation skills
• Participate in team training at the beginning of the season
• Keep up to date on news concerning the whales of the St. Lawrence
• Possibility of participating in the writing of the Whales Online website according to your profile

Our ideal candidate

A friendly, outgoing person who loves to talk and share their knowledge with the public! This person takes the initiative to approach visitors and knows how to arouse their interest and capture their attention with their whale stories. They know how to popularize and adapt their speech to the public, and always transmits their information with rigor. More specifically, we are looking for someone who:

• Has good interpersonal skills and is comfortable with the public
• Has a good sense of synthesis and scientific rigor 
• Is available, open and works well in a team
• Has a background in biology and/or experience in interpretation
• Is curious and a quick learner
• Fluent in spoken French and able to express themselves well in English

Working conditions

• Location: Tadoussac (low cost accommodation available)
• Schedule: 5 days/week, 40 hours/week
• Hourly rate: $17.50/hr to $18.50/hr, depending on experience
• Start date: mid-May (to be determined)
• Paid training at the beginning of the season (2 to 4 weeks, depending on availability)
• Must be a Canadian citizen or have a valid work permit to work in Quebec

To send your application       

Send your resume and a letter of motivation before March 17, by email to Véronique Genesse and Christine Stadelmann, chiefs naturalists: [email protected].

We thank all applicants for their interest in our organization. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The GREMM team is deeply saddened to have learned of the death of storyteller Simon Gauthier. This artist and poet from Sept-Îles was a virtuoso when it came to creating plays on words and moving stories.

The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre had the chance to serve as a venue for his acts every year since the beginning of his career. For more than twenty years, he presented many tales here, including Corne de brume, a show featuring stories inspired by whales. Funny, touching, moving and thought-provoking, Simon’s stories always had their own unique flavour. His performances were often sold out. He was also the designer of the famous “baleinophone,” a musical instrument that mimics singing whales, as well as the co-creator of CIMM’s flagship activity: whale song lessons.

Simon was an artistic pillar in the region. In 2001, he was proud to have been named Côte-Nord Ambassador by Tourisme Côte-Nord and, in 2002, he received the Côte-Nord Author of the Year distinction at the Montréal book fair. In addition, he founded the Tadoussac storytelling festival (Les conteurs en rafale) and played an important role in promoting Québécois stories in schools in the province’s Côte-Nord region. He was a unifier and regularly involved his fellow storytellers in his own projects.

He traveled extensively in the French-speaking world and his work touched the hearts of many during his tours in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Burkina Faso. But even after achieving success on the international stage, he always returned to Tadoussac. All those who met him were forever marked by this unforgettable individual.

Original, visionary, inspiring… Simon was also a dear friend.

As our research boats are about to sail and the Marine Mammal Interpretation Center has opened its doors, it is time to share with you the results of our year 2020. With this link, you can browse through The Souffleur, our annual newsletter. You will discover the challenges that the pandemic has brought to our activities and the beautiful discoveries that we have made. Si vous préférez le lire en français, cliquez ici. You want to read our archives? Visit the Mission section of this website.

The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and the Marine Mammal Observation Network (MMON) are pleased to offer an online training course for recreational boaters and kayakers in the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay Fjord. Developed in partnership with Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, this training is easy to complete, free of charge, and available in both official languages.

Entitled “Navigating Whale Habitat”, the training helps participants brush up on their knowledge of whales and the regulations that have been put in place to protect them. It is also suitable for different types of watercraft, including kayaks, sailboats and motorboats. The course takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete and is available for your mobile phone or your computer.

“In a survey conducted by MMON in 2018, recreational boaters who regular operate their watercraft in whale habitat expressed a clear desire to contribute to the protection of marine mammals. The training addresses this need by providing them with all the relevant information to be familiar with the regulations and apply them correctly,” explains MMON director Esther Blier.

“The protection of whales, especially vulnerable populations such as that of the St. Lawrence beluga, is a matter of concern for anybody who uses the St. Lawrence. With this training, we aim to raise boaters’ and kayakers’ awareness of whales and educate them with regard to the potential impact they can have on these animals,” points out GREMM president Robert Michaud.

Ready to improve your knowledge of whales and how to best operate your watercraft in their habitat ? Visit navigationbaleines.ca! A token certificate is issued once the training has been successfully completed.

This project was funded under Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk and with the support of the Fondation de la faune du Québec and its endangered wildlife program.

Information:

Marie-Ève Muller, Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), 418-717-6061, [email protected].

 Sonia Giroux, Marine Mammal Observation Network, 581-605-3147,[email protected].

From all GREMM team, happy holidays! In 2020, we will celebrate our 35th anniversary. Some celebration is coming!

Please note that GREMM will be on vacation from December 21st to January 5th .
We’ll be back on track on January 6th.

Project Title

Environmental Contaminants, Body Condition and Photogrammetry of St. Lawrence Estuary Belugas

Project Synopsis

The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga population has been listed at risk of extinction in 2017 under the Species at Risk Act. This small population of about 900 individuals lives in a marine ecosystem that is strongly impacted by anthropogenic activities upstream. As a result, chronic exposure to environmental contaminants has been suggested as a factor that may affect the health of belugas in the SLE, and hence the recovery of this population. Exposure to a cocktail of contaminants via consumption of contaminated preys may interfere with lipid metabolism, and ultimately alter their body condition and survival. However, the effects of contaminants on lipid metabolism in SLE belugas are still unknown. The objective of this four-year PhD project is to investigate the linkages between exposure of SLE belugas to several organic contaminants and proxies of body condition including blubber tissue histology, metabolomic profile, expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and activity of associated enzymes, and photogrammetry (body size measurements obtained from drone’s photographs). This project is a collaboration between UQAM (principal supervisor: Jonathan Verreault), UQAR (Zhe Lu), Environment and Climate Change Canada (Magali Houde), GREMM (Robert Michaud), and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Véronique Lesage).

Additional Informations

Requirements

To apply

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

Tadoussac, June 27, 2019 / The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) welcomes the Government of Canada’s contribution – through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions and Canadian Heritage – for the upgrading of its Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre in Tadoussac. The grants being offered by the Government of Canada total $730,710. Tourisme Côte-Nord is also earmarking $50,000 to participate in the funding.

“Since 1991, we have been filling our Interpretation Centre with scientific knowledge that we acquired in the field and skeletons of whales recovered from our shores. Gradually, the Centre became home to these giants. But it’s getting a little crowded in there, so we must expand to make room for new giants!” explains Patrice Corbeil, GREMM’s Vice-President and Director of the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre.

In this context, the Centre will see its showroom enlarged to accommodate three enormous skeletons: a juvenile humpback whale, a fin whale and a North Atlantic right whale. These three whales came to rest on the shores of the St. Lawrence and were recovered by our team. The three species complete the collection of skeletons on display, which is the most impressive of its kind in Canada. It is a reflection of the diversity of cetaceans that visit the St. Lawrence.

In parallel with the expansion, the permanent exhibit will also be enhanced. “The renewed exhibit comes at a good time. We face tremendous challenges in terms of our cohabitation with whales, especially with the increase in shipping traffic. Our Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre reveals how fascinating whales are and the importance of protecting them,” adds GREMM’s President and Scientific Director, Robert Michaud.

To complete the funding for this major project, GREMM needs to secure a further $200,000. “Help us get these skeletons out of the closet!” exclaims Patrice Corbeil. “For a donation of $1,000, we will post the names of the contributors or a short message on a plaque installed on the life-size blue whale outline on the path leading to the Interpretation Centre. Other funding tools will be announced in the near future.

We would like to thank all our volunteers and collaborators who participated in carcass recovery, necropsies and skeleton cleaning. Our sincere gratitude also goes out to the 5 Étoiles farm in Sacré-Coeur for accommodating the skeletons in anticipation of their assembly before the expansion.

Quick facts

• Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre is managed by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals.
• The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre was officially inaugurated in 1991.
• Inauguration of the revamped Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre is scheduled for 2020, which coincides with GREMM’s 35^th

To discover the stories of each of the three new skeletons due to join the collection: https://gremm.wpengine.com/docs/The_Souffleur_2018.pdf

Sources

Marie-Ève Muller, head of communications, Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), 418 235-4701 (office) or 418-717-6061 (mobile), [email protected].

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DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) is an umbrella group of organizations and institutions that work with marine mammals. The Network is responsible for organizing, coordinating and implementing measures aimed at reducing accidental mortality of marine mammals, rescuing animals in difficulty, and facilitating the acquisition of data from animals that have died in St. Lawrence waters.

The Network receives over 500 calls and handles approximately 300 cases a year. It documents and monitors cases, evaluates whether or not a response is warranted, responds as needed, or provides assistance to specialized response teams. QMMERN revolves around a group of more than 150 volunteers to assist in various types of interventions. The Network contributes to a number of research projects, in addition to helping manage a national data bank.

Coordinating the QMMERN and managing its call centre and new intervention program is the responsibility of the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research and conservation education with a focus on the whales of the St. Lawrence and their habitat.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Beginning in 2019, the Network will launch an intervention program with mobile response units to cover all of southern Quebec. The selected candidate will be called upon to develop and implement this program, create intervention protocols and consolidate the network of partners and volunteers who can support response efforts. He or she will be responsible for training and coordinating teams and will participate in interventions.

The future Director will be required to complete a number of trainings and workshops with various partners of the Network in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada in the first two years of his or her mandate.

Primary Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the scientific coordinator and in close collaboration with other team members, the individual should be capable of assuming many of the responsibilities outlined below. However, the position will be tailored according to the applicant’s strengths and complementarity with other members of the team.

Development Phase

• Develop and update procedures, protocols and response kits;
• Develop the volunteer network and its training program;
• Establish new partnerships.

Field Interventions

• Evaluate cases and determine appropriate interventions;
• Supervise interventions performed by mobile response teams, volunteers and support teams;
• Lend assistance to specialized response teams;
• Participate in handling calls and emergency standby duty;
• Prepare weekly debriefing meetings with call centre administrator.

Management and Communication

• Manage human resources associated with response teams (hiring, training, scheduling and meetings);
• Assist coordinator in certain management/administrative tasks;
• Assist coordinator of Canadian Marine Animal Response Alliance and various entities of Fisheries and Oceans Canada;
• Support call centre administrator and head of communications in the production of various communication tools.

REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION

 Experience

• University degree in a relevant field (biology, veterinary medicine);
• At least 3 years of experience in coordination, project management or similar position involving multidisciplinary teams;
• Experience in crisis management and ability to work in the midst of an emergency.

Skills

• Excellent field work skills and physical ability to perform demanding work at sea and on land;
• Team player with strong interpersonal skills;
• Fluent in French and English (written and spoken);
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capacity;
• Sense of organization and planning;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Versatile, resourceful and autonomous.

Availability and Motivation

• Highly flexible with regard to work schedule depending on the case(s) being handled;
• Willingness to be on call evenings, weekends and holidays;
• Motivated to fill position for at least two years.

Added Advantages

• Database management skills, knowledge of marine mammals, the marine environment, fisheries and eastern Quebec;
• Experience working at sea and operating watercraft;
• Knowledge of not-for-profit sector.

WORKING CONDITIONS, SALARY AND BENEFITS

• Full-time position;
• Annual salary: $45,000 to $55,000;
• Duration of position: preferably long term, with a six-month probation period;
• Possibility of working either out of Québec City or Tadoussac, with occasional travel;
• Mobile phone with plan provided;
• Scheduled start date: as soon as possible, no later than May 1.

Other benefits: friendly working atmosphere in an exciting sector offering the opportunity to work alongside researchers (marine mammals and related fields) and environmental education specialists with years of experience in stimulating projects, office at the Centre Culture et Environnement Frédéric-Back (Québec City) and a stone’s throw away from the Saguenay Fjord (Tadoussac), seasonal social activities, possibility of accompanying research teams at sea.

TO APPLY

Interested in this job offer? Email your CV and cover letter to [email protected].

Deadline: April 5, 2019

We thank all applicants for their interest; only selected applicants will be contacted.

Project

The St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population is considered as endangered since 2014. This small population of about 900 individuals lives in a marine ecosystem that is strongly impacted by anthropogenic activities upstream. As a result, chronic exposure to environmental contaminants has been suggested as a factor that may affect the health of belugas in the St.Lawrence Estuary and the recovery of this population. In addition, exposure to contaminants that may interfere with thyroid functions such as flame retardants (e.g., PBDEs) has been suggested as a potential cause for the unusually high number of deaths of parturient female belugas and their calves. However, the effects of contaminants on belugas in the St. Lawrence estuary are still unknown. The objective of this project is to study the effects of certain contaminants on genomic markers (gene expression) and hormones involved in the regulation of the thyroid axis in belugas. This project is a collaboration between UQAM (principal supervisor: Jonathan Verreault), Université de Montréal (Stéphane Lair) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (Magali Houde).

Additional information

Master level funding for a period of two years.

Field and laboratory work.

Starting in May or September 2019

Requirements

• Meet the basic admission requirements for the UQAM’s Master’s in Biology program;

• B.Sc. in Biochemistry, Biology or a related discipline. Knowledge in ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry is an asset;

• Very good command of spoken and written English and French.

To apply, send your CV and transcript (B.Sc.) before March 1st, 2019 to:

Jonathan Verreault
Département des sciences biologiques
Université du Québec à Montréal
Phone: 514‐987‐3000, ex. 1070
E‐mail: [email protected]

Project Synopsis

The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga has been listed as an endangered species since 2014 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). This small population of around 900 individuals inhabits a marine ecosystem significantly impacted by upstream anthropogenic activities. Therefore, chronic exposure to anthropogenic contaminants has been suggested as one factor affecting the health of SLE beluga and the recovery of this population. However, the occurrence and fate of many emerging contaminants in SLE beluga are unknown. The objectives of this project are to investigate the occurrence and temporal trend of industrial additives such as synthetic phenolic compounds, ultraviolet absorbents and aromatic secondary amines in SLE beluga tissues. This is a collaborative project with Université du Québec à Montréal (co‐supervisor: Jonathan Verreault), University of Montreal, University of Toronto, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and GREMM.

Additional Information

MSc‐level funding provided for two years.

Project should start in May or September 2019

Requirements

• Satisfy the basic requirements for admission in the MSc program of oceanography at UQAR;

• BSc degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Oceanography, or a related discipline;

• Knowledge in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry or ecotoxicology is an asset;

• Proficiency in French. Proof of French proficiency will be required for non‐Frenchspeaking candidates (e.g., international French test score > 650);

• Good communication skill in English is an asset.

To apply, send your CV and BSc transcript before February 18, 2019 to:

Zhe Lu
Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Phone: 418‐723‐1986, ext. 1174
E‐mail: [email protected]