INTERNSHIPS
LAUNCH YOUR CAREER
Interns can expect to be challenged, mentored, and inspired, working with a dynamic team that is dedicated to helping them find their focus.
CORAL CONSERVATION AND REEF RESTORATION INTERNSHIP
Our Coral Conservation and Reef Restoration Internship introduces individuals to the nonprofit sector of marine conservation, focusing on the restoration of coral reef ecosystems.
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Internships last 4 months and are full-time volunteer positions.
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Interns gain a vast amount of experience through participation in our community engagement programs, daily operations, and fieldwork.
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During their first semester, each intern will be mentored while they undertake a personal intern project.
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Interns who wish to progress further have the chance to be considered for positions as Lead Interns during a second semester, and then Program Interns during a third semester.
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Interns will be provided with a small educational stipend to offset living costs.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
Age & Academic Status
Applicant must be 21+ years of age or older.
Applicant should be enrolled in an undergraduate program having completed at least two years of study at an accredited college or university, be in enrolled in a graduate program, or be a recent graduate from a college or university.
Preference will be given to students who have studied or are studying marine science, specifically coral reefs.
Diving
Applicant should have at least 30 dives; 15 of which must be ocean dives and 5 from a boat. Applicant must have at least one logged dive within a year of the start date of the internship.
Preference will be given to those with Advanced Open Water dive certification and higher, those with boat diving experience, and those with ocean diving experience.
All dive gear (excluding tanks) must be provided by the intern. This means: BCD, regulator, mask, fins, snorkel, dive computer, wetsuit, weights, and gloves.
Upon selection, candidates will be required to provide a dive physical, dive certifications, and log-books as well as proof of active dive insurance, active CPR/First Aid certification, active Oxygen Administration certification, and proof of regulator purchase/servicing.
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All selected candidates' dive status is pending the approval of their dive physical by our DSO and Dive Safety Board.
Other requirements
Housing and reliable vehicular transportation must be provided by the intern. Applicants should keep in mind the cost of living in the Florida Keys can be between $800 and $1,200 monthly. Rent will be less expensive if intern teams share living spaces.
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Applicant must be physically fit and able to work on the water and in the sun for long periods of time (eight hours a day several days in a row).
Coral Restoration Foundation reserves the right to accept or deny any applications regardless of minimum requirements met.
CURRENT INTERNS
Our current interns join us from around the country, each with unique academic backgrounds and ambitions.
Bailey Thomasson
RESTORATION PROGRAM INTERN
Bailey grew up on a lake in North Carolina, and has felt connected to the water for as long as she can remember. When she was 10 years old, she got SCUBA certified and started taking annual diving trips to Florida where she saw first-hand the decline of coral reefs in the Keys. Knowing that she wanted to make a career in marine conservation, she joined an Operation Wallacea expedition to Greece where she learned field work skills.
Bailey graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019 with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Marine Science. During her four years there, she worked as a research assistant investigating how the calcium carbonate skeleton of corals are affected by ocean warming and acidification. Most recently, she worked as a summer camp educator at the Discovery Place Nature Museum in North Carolina where she taught students about the natural environment and how to protect it. Bailey is so excited for the opportunity to work with Coral Restoration Foundationâ„¢ towards its mission of restoring coral reefs
CRF ALUMNI
Our interns have gone on to do some amazing things! Where are they now?
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THE CORAL CHRONICLES
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Coral Restoration Foundationâ„¢!