Marine Applied Research & Exploration Marine Biology Internship

Host: Marine Applied Research & Exploration (MARE) provides technology and offshore operations expertise needed to see and work in deepwater marine environments - those beyond the reach of most divers. MARE collaborates with scientists, resource managers and environmental organizations to obtain geo-referenced, habitat and species data with the goal of protecting and restoring marine ecosystems. MARE was founded as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization in 2003.

Location: Eureka

Internship Dates: June 6 - August 19, 2016; start and end dates flexible with regard to student’s academic commitments.

Stipend: $4,000.00

Time Commitment: The internship is a full time, 11-week commitment. Over the 11 weeks, the intern may take up to five days off for personal reasons, vacation or illness. If participation is less than 100%, the stipend will be pro-rated.

Position Description and Responsibilities: One (1) internship is available to work with marine biologists and GIS analysts analyzing video and still photographic imagery collected using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Imagery analysis will support both internal and external California based projects focused on 1) baseline characterization of newly implemented marine protected areas (MPAs), 2) long-term monitoring of established MPAs and 3) monitoring of species composition shifts associated with climate change. Project partners include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and National Marine Sanctuaries, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), The Nature Conservancy and several academic institutions. Data produced during this internship support a long-term monitoring effort undertaken by MARE and its partners that over the last 15 years has imaged and post-processed over 6.5 million m2 of seafloor.

Primary tasks will include post-processing of ROV video for habitat, fish and invertebrates collected in waters 20-500 meters deep. Both fish and invertebrate species identification training will be provided. Work will also include organization of still photographic imagery, stereographic video sizing of select species and working with final data in preparation for analysis and reporting of results. The intern will work side-by-side with experienced marine biologists and GIS analysts in an office environment. The intern will also learn about current policies from both state and federal agencies as they relate to marine protected areas, fisheries management and climate change.

Preferred Experience and Capabilities: Experience in marine biology or marine fisheries is necessary. Core internship duties may be performed by students with physical disabilities or limitations. The following experience and capabilities would enable the intern to work on more advanced tasks:   

• Demonstrated ability to identify west coast marine fishes or invertebrates.
• Experience working with Microsoft Access and Excel.
• Experience working with GIS software.
• Experience running basic statistical analysis.
• Experience organizing and writing data summary reports.

Skills Gained: Interns will gain experience working directly with marine fisheries biologists. Specific skills include taxonomic species identification of marine fishes and/or invertebrates. Intern will gain knowledge and understanding of current marine sciences and policies as they relate to marine protected areas, fisheries management and climate change. A portion of the intern’s time may be dedicated to completing a project and paper that is coordinated with academic class work. A previous intern received recognition for their work in a published conference poster and is currently using a subset of the data collected in 2014 for their master’s thesis.

Eligibility/Requirements: Internships are geared toward upperclassmen (juniors/seniors) and science graduate students. A valid California State driver’s license is required. Interns must be 18 years or older. Intern must be able to work independently and interact in a professional manner with engineers, marine biologists, and support staff at all levels. Also, interns must have the ability to follow verbal procedures, record field notes and to fully understand any information presented in written format. Travel may be required to assist with field data collection.

Applicants are also subject to additional eligibility and requirements that can be found here.

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