Coral Restoration Internship

I.CARE is a nonprofit marine restoration organization based in Islamorada, Florida. We are seeking a passionate individual for our 1-year-long, paid internship position in the Florida Keys. We are seeking a Coral Restoration Intern.

Application Deadline: 15 January 2025
Start Date: April 2025
Compensation: Housing in the Florida Keys plus a $300 monthly stipend 
About I.CARE: Working locally in the Islamorada area, we collaborate with local dive operations in teaching and outplanting corals and sponges with recreational divers, monitoring and caring for transplanted corals and sponges, and conducting broader reef ecosystem surveys.
 
About the Internship: This position is ideal for a recent graduate who desires to gain broad experience in hands-on restoration work and community outreach. Interns can expect >3 dive days/ week split between acting as a supervisor on community outplant dives and monitoring, maintaining, and surveying dives. Land work involves outreach and education of coral conservation to diverse groups, data entry and curation, and care of a shore-based nursery, among other tasks. 
 
Duties:

• Transplant and maintain outplanted corals and sponges
• Train and supervise recreational divers in coral outplanting procedures
• Maintain land-based coral nursery
• Contribute to I.CARE social media, newsletter, and graphic materials
• Monitor and photograph coral transplants: attention to detail is crucial
• Conduct annual surveys of coral reef communities (mobile invertebrate, wild coral, and substrate surveys)
• Educate members of the community through outreach events
• Collaborate with local partners (Dive and snorkel operators, Mote Marine Lab, Keys Marine Laboratory, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and many others!)
• Train new interns and volunteers

Requirements:

• Divemaster certification (eg. PADI, NAUI, etc.)
• Personal vehicle and US driver’s license
• Undergraduate degree
• 21+ years of age
• Proficiency in Microsoft and Google Suite
• Time management skills, ability to work independently
• Able to lift at least 50 pounds

Preferred:

• Background in marine science
• Caribbean diving experience
• Comfort with public speaking
• Experience in recreational dive or hospitality industry