Marine Protection Atlas Internship

Position Overview:

As a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas, Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world and advocate for their protection. Our unique effectiveness comes from our vision, expertise and our willingness to partner with others. Interns have the opportunity to gain important conservation science, communication and advocacy skills.

Marine Conservation Institute launched the Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas) in 2012 to clarify and visualize global marine protection coverage within marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly fully and highly protected areas, the places that most strongly protect marine biodiversity in situ. As countries around the world race to meet levels of marine protection established within international treaties and agreements, we provide a clear accounting of progress and distinguish which MPAs are likely to achieve desired conservation benefits. The MPAtlas team is currently focused on building a new database of MPA evaluations using The MPA Guide, a framework recently published in Science.

The intern will work closely with the MPAtlas team and collaborators to support a rigorous ongoing research and assessment effort to evaluate a subset of global MPAs, demonstrating the conservation advocacy value of The MPA Guide framework. The intern’s primarily responsibilities will include reviewing policy, regulatory, and management documentation, as well as scientific literature, to extract information and apply it to a set of criteria and decision trees. The intern will also have the opportunity to contribute pieces to the Institute’s blog, On the Tide.

Position Details:

Reports to: Marine Protection Atlas Director 

Location: Remote

Period: 3-6 months, beginning in March or April 2024

Hours: Negotiable. We will consider part-time applicants (20+ hours/week) or full-time applicants (35+ hours/week).

Qualifications and Skills

Qualifications

• Experience searching for and reading scientific literature
• Ability to synthesize and clearly summarize information
• Understanding of ocean conservation issues
• Familiarity with marine protected areas
• Familiarity with ocean policy
• Experience reviewing ocean policy and management documentation
• Ability to learn new skills
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Additional language skills (preferred)
• GIS experience (preferred)

The successful remote candidate is effective working independently and is also a proactive communicator, overcoming the challenges of communicating via Zoom, email, and phone.

Responsibilities may include:

• Researching and compiling information on MPAs from around the world
• Applying The MPA Guide framework to MPAs
• Data quality control
• Assisting with communications – writing reports, blog pieces, etc.
• Communicating with external partners

Compensation

Internships are on a volunteer basis; no benefits or relocation costs are provided. We are happy to work with interns and their universities to obtain academic credit for internship work. It is the intern’s responsibility to negotiate this relationship with their institution and verify that the internship training and experience meets academic credit requirements.