Jessica Fischer Email & Phone Number

Long Beach, California

Service-oriented Endangered Species Act (ESA), Section 7 consultation specialist advising federal, state and local governments on ESA compliance including transportation projects in the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) Districts 5, 7, 11, and 12. Currently serving as NMFS’ liaison to Caltrans in south-central and southern California providing enhanced ESA consultation services and work products. I draft letters of concurrence (LOC) and Biological Opinions (BO) for various projects and provide technical assistance to action agencies as needed for projects involving impacts from highway construction, bridge construction, pile driving, stream dewatering, and channel modifications on threatened and endangered steelhead and designated critical habitat for these species. I review various plans for project components such as fish relocation plans, water diversion plans, and revegetation and monitoring plans. I have also participated in post-fire/land slide assessment surveys to evaluate the condition of endangered southern California steelhead habitat, focusing on stream structure and the riparian corridor. I regularly participate and collaborate with the state’s Fish Passage Advisory Committee (FishPAC) to evaluate fish passage barriers, prioritize barriers for remediation, and enhance wildlife crossings for other listed species along the state highway system.

Lodi, Ca

I work with the Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program (DJFMP).

Cedar Key, Florida

I conduct monthly Stratified Random Sampling (SRS) for the Fisheries Independent Monitoring Program (FIM) by: acting as Principal Investigator (PI) or crew member, performing wet lab work up for culls, complete dry lab work up for representative/ID samples, and entering/proofing data. As PI I plan sampling trips in Cedar Key and surrounding areas, organize equipment needed, trailer boat to ramps, launch boat, drive to the predetermined sample sites, use boat to set the nets/trawls, take water quality using a YSI and a secchi, and code the shore type using FIM’s matrix method. As PI, I am also responsible for crew safety. As crew I assist in the deployment and pulling of seine nets and otter trawls, and field identification and measurement of fishes. For wet lab work up I enter data electronically, remove otoliths, take mercury samples, fin clips, gut samples, and spines as necessary. For dry lab I use dichotomous keys to identify fish. All aspects of SRS sampling are done according to current FIM procedures. I am also in charge of monthly maintenance on YSIs which involves cleaning sondes, checking probes, changing DO membranes, calibrating the instruments, and troubleshooting. I manage the offshore data as well by entering it into the database, proofing, correcting, running check programs in SAS, and double checking the results. I also assist in side-scan sonar analysis by creating mosaics in SonarWiz and digitizing features with SonarPro and ArcGIS. I take care of Big Bend monthly summaries and offshore points for the report and help train new-hires. I also participate in offshore sampling trips as PI and crew: hooked gear sampling, cameras/traps (PI/crew), side-scan-sonar (crew/PI training). I also participate in outreach at the local Seafood Festival.

Cedar Key, Florida

Cedar Key, Florida

Planning & Environmental Regulation Division -- Npdes

• Perform calibration, deployment, and post-calibration of YSI sondes to measure water parameters at various sites throughout Broward County, Florida.• Maintain data base for each site, eliminating parameters that did not pass a deployment’s post-calibration.• Conduct quality control procedures, checking parameters and performing quarterly maintenance on the sondes.• Assist with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System enforcement inspections.• Utilize GIS to map out NPDES violations.

Office Of Sponsored Programs

• Update, file, and organize project documents, reports, and various other information.• Draft correspondences to principal investigators of funded and unfunded projects to aid the grant officers in keeping each file up to date.• Perform electronic archiving of paper documents and maintain project file cabinets.• Assist with any electronic troubleshooting of office computer programs and various other tasks to aid the grant officers.• Use Ariba, MS Office Suite, and Outlook.

Davie, Fl

• Prepared and cleaned up labs for Biology II and Microbiology undergraduate classes.• Assisted the professor in instructing the students and keeping them on task.

Dania Beach, Fl

• Processed and printed 35mm and digital photo orders. • Ran the cash register, stocked merchandise and cleaned the store when the photo department was not busy.• Provided customer service.

Aventura, Fl

• Provided customer service and assisted customers in finding merchandise.• Maintained organized store appearance.

Plymouth, Mn

• Taught students aged 8 to 18 the techniques and skills of springboard diving.

Appleton, Wi

• Prepared food orders, ran the dishwasher, cashiered and maintained a clean work and dining area.

Demere Key, Fl

• Pulled seine nets along beaches and in mangrove creeks to capture common snook for tag and recapture.• Identified fish in community surveys in the mangrove creeks.• Entered data into electronic database and performed analyses for the basis of a manuscript.• Drafted a project proposal and manuscript on common snook homing to juvenile habitats.

Apple Valley, Mn

• Taught various aquatic and marine themed zoo camps for kindergarten through 12th grade students. Prepared materials and chaperoned the campers while assisting the teachers.• Maintained aquariums, fed fish and sharks, and facilitated educational shows for the public.• Conducted a project developing an identification key for all the species in the “Coral Reef” tank.

Chaska, Mn & Eden Prairie, Mn

• Prepared cut fruit and vegetable trays, deli meats, salads, sandwiches, and fried food along with cashiering.

Excelsior, Mn

• Greeted customers, showed them to their tables, cleaned tables, maintained bathrooms, and rolled silverware.

Master Of Science (Ms), Marine Biology, 3.9

I did my Master's thesis on the age and growth of three coastal pelagic tunas in the Florida Straits.

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Biology, 3.3

Activities and Societies: Kappa Kappa Gamma, Lawrence University Swimming & Diving, Melee Dance