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Melbourne Beach Marine Mammal Internship

Interns will assist with manatee rescues, carcass salvages, and research in east central Florida.

The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s (FWRI) Marine Mammal Research subsection is looking for an intern to assist with manatee salvage, rescue, and research at the Melbourne Beach field lab (which includes Brevard, Indian River, Volusia, Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole Counties). Normally, two positions are available each year: one position in the winter from January through April and one in the summer from May to August. The internship is typically 30-40 hours a week, with some nights and weekends required. A minimum of a three-month commitment is required. Start and end dates can be worked out with the intern supervisor. Interns will assist with manatee rescues and field necropsies as needed and conduct photo identification, radio tracking, temperature monitoring, and public outreach as time permits. Interns will also complete mortality and rescue reports, perform equipment maintenance and assist with other office work as needed. The intern is required to complete a project and present a 10-15 minute seminar on the work accomplished during their internship.

Qualifications

Required:

  • a junior or senior college student or recent graduate (special cases are considered but applicants must be 18 years or older);
  • comfortable driving large trucks and speaking to the public;
  • computer literate, in possession of a valid driver's license, able to lift 50 pounds and able to swim.

Desired:

  • Previous experience with digital SLR cameras, telephoto lenses, and filters;
  • Previous animal handling experience.;
  • Ability to trailer and operate watercrafts up to 22' in length and experience with radio telemetry tracking gear 

Applicants should be aware this internship will require them to be wet, dirty and outdoors in all weather conditions. This position is unpaid and housing is not provided. Interns must provide their own transportation to and from the field station.

Application Process

If you are interested in applying for an internship with FWRI, please provide the following information:

  • A cover letter describing area(s) of interest and the dates, days and hours of availability.
  • A résumé describing training and experience.
  • Names and contact information for at least three references.
  • An unofficial copy of your academic transcript.

Please send these items as e-mail attachments to: Interns@MyFWC.com

If electronic submission is not possible, hard copies can be mailed to:

Internship Coordinator
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020