Skip to main content
Menu

Seagrass Habitat Program Intern/Volunteer

The FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's (FWRI) Seagrass Habitat Program (SHP) is seeking learning-oriented interns and volunteers to assist with general laboratory duties, field research projects, and the development of outreach materials, at its St. Petersburg headquarters.

Successful candidates will be open-minded individuals that can work independently in the laboratory and assist the SHP team with field work in the shallow coastal waters of the Gulf Coast. Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

  • processing seagrass biomass samples,
  • wading and/or snorkeling in water 2-10 ft deep,
  • traveling in and sampling from small vessels (<25 ft),
  • data entry in Microsoft Excel, and
  • literature searches and EndNote data entry.

Interns will be encouraged to develop an independent research project using pre-existing datasets or data collected during the internship. To summarize this work, interns will produce one or more of the following:  

  1. a final written report,
  2. a 15-minute seminar, and
  3. a scientific meeting poster 

College credit is possible, and candidates seeking college credit are preferred. Please check with your home institution for details. 

Qualifications: 

  • a current student who has successfully completed introductory coursework in any of the following areas: statistics, environmental science, chemistry, marine science, geology or biology
  • willingness to process biological samples containing organic mud, small vertebrates/invertebrates, seagrasses and macroalgae
  • willingness to work long hours on and in the water with the possibility of adverse weather conditions
  • ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
  • ability to lift at least 50 pounds.

Preference will be given to applicants seeking an undergraduate or advanced degree (or recent graduates) in the following (or related) scientific disciplines: Oceanography/Marine Science, Biology and/or Environmental Science. Candidates with working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Power Point), knowledge of R and/or ArcGIS are a plus. Prior field and/or laboratory experience is preferred but not required. 

If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the following information is required:

  • A cover letter describing your area(s) of academic/research interest and the dates, days, and hours of availability.
  • A résumé (or curriculum vitae) describing your relevant training and experience.
  • Current academic transcripts.
  • Names and contact information for three references.

Please submit application items as an e-mail attachment to: Interns@MyFWC.com

If electronic submission is not possible, hard copies can be mailed to:
Internship Coordinator
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020