Internship Opportunities
Summer 2019
Our four week Coral Reef Research and Dolphin Training & Research internships were such a success last summer that we are offering these internships again in the summer of 2019!
The Dolphin Training & Research Internship will run from June 1-29, 2019. Interns will live and work on site and gain valuable marine mammal research exposure as they get to know our resident population of bottlenose dolphins and receive an invaluable introduction into the training process.
The Coral Reef Research Internship will run from July 20- August 17, 2019. Interns will also live and work at our facility and gain extensive research and field experience on some of the most well-developed and ecologically diverse reefs in the Caribbean.
The Dolphin Training & Research Internship
Under the direction of professional mentors and marine biologists, students will live and work at our facility and engage in a wide variety of activities to gain experience and skills that will make them more competitive when pursuing future employment and research opportunities in the fields of marine science.
The Coral Reef Research Internship
In February of 2016, the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences established a coral nursery program on Roatan to enhance local populations of the once-dominant staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata). Threats such as disease, sedimentation, pollution, hurricanes, and climate change have reduced the abundance of these species throughout the Caribbean by almost 90% over the past few decades. Branching corals are crucial to reef structure and create important habitat for fish and invertebrates. The primary goal of these coral nurseries will be to provide an active method of restoration that will help reestablish threatened populations of staghorn and other coral species.
The internships are open to upper-level college undergraduates or recent college graduates. Successful applicants may apply for research or independent studies credit through their home institution.
You can also visit Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences to find out more about the programs and how to apply.