Stranding Investigations Internship

Work with the AMSEAS Field Response Team to conduct stranding investigation efforts, including necropsies for the marine mammals and sea turtles that wash up on our shores. 

Specific projects include but are not limited to:

• Response: Support response efforts for stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. Maintain supplies, equipment, and vehicles needed for response and complete inventories of supplies and samples collected. Join biologists during responses to record data and conduct necropsy examinations on stranded animals.
• Data Entry/Management: Maintain marine mammal and sea turtle data records for AMSEAS and state or federal reporting requirements. Maintain inventory lists of samples collected through necropsy examinations.
• Communications & Outreach: Analyze data associated with responses, strandings, and necropsies. Compile tables and charts of findings for communication purposes. Compare current results to findings from previous years.

Our objectives for students include learning basic methodology of stranding protocol and procedures, gaining practical experience in applying tools and techniques during strandings, developing communication plans to disseminate strandings findings and trends, increasing knowledge of marine mammal and sea turtle anatomy, and gaining experience with a variety of team-member roles during the stranding investigation process. 

All internships must be completed for course credit.