We have an opportunity available for a student to develop an inventory of acoustically active families/species in the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. This internship is hosted by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
How to apply
Interested applicants should email a one-page letter of interest to Mona Behl, associate director and public service assistant at UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, at mbehl@uga.edu. For more information, call 706-542-6621.
Background
Many marine organisms, including marine mammals, turtles, fish and invertebrates, rely on sound and hearing for their survival. For example, many animals rely on sound to communicate (e.g., between mothers and offspring, in group dynamics), navigate, find food, find mates, and avoid predators.
Project Description
The intern will be responsible for developing an inventory of acoustically active families/species in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Specific tasks and outcomes include:
- Develop a list of key families/species in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
- Determine which of these families/species are acoustically active
- Identify how and why these families/species are acoustically active
- There is the potential that this project could be expanded to include other National Marine Sanctuaries in the Southeast Region (e.g., Flower Garden Banks NMS and Florida Keys NMS). The intern will be supervised remotely by a staff person from the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (located in Silver Spring, MD).
Time Commitment
This internship will take place over a 8 – 12 week period during the Summer/Fall of 2016. The time commitment may be tailored to the needs of both the intern and supervisor, but it is recommended a minimum of 24 hours (3 business days) per week is dedicated to this project.
Qualifications
Successful applicants will possess some or all of the following characteristics:
- Interest and familiarity with basic marine ecology and conservation
- The ability to conduct literature searches and reviews
- The ability to interview resource managers and scientists
- The ability to work independently
- Familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
- Attentiveness to detail
- Well organized
Stipend
A $1,000 stipend will be awarded to the intern at the conclusion of the summer/fall internship.