Voluntariado: Manatí!

Manatee Tracking Project Research Intern or Volunteer

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Marine Mammal Research Group is looking for two motivated interns or volunteers to serve for the upcoming spring-summer session in St. Petersburg, FL.

Position description: The intern's primary responsibility is to assist researchers in the Manatee Behavioral Ecology Program with tracking manatees in southwest Florida. The principle aim of this study is to characterize manatee response to watercraft in their natural environment using state-of-the-art multi-sensor digital acoustic recording tags and satellite-linked GPS technology. The successful applicant will record behavioral observations of individual tagged manatees and operational information of vessel traffic from small boats.
Other duties include equipment maintenance, data entry, various office tasks, and public outreach as needed. Interns are expected to work Friday to Monday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; however, some morning and evening hours may be required to utilize daylight and maximize data collection. Applicants should understand that this job requires them to be wet, dirty, and outdoors in all weather conditions.

This position is unpaid; housing is not provided, and interns must provide their own transportation to and from the office. Lodging and transportation are provided while at the field site.

Qualifications:
* Must be college junior or senior for internship credit; volunteers do not need to meet this qualification
* Must have basic computer proficiency
* Some field research experience with animals preferred
* Should be comfortable speaking to the public while in the field
* Ability to trailer and operate watercraft up to 22' in length is desired, but training will be provided
* Experience with radio telemetry tracking gear is desirable, but training will be provided
* Must be able to swim
* Preference given to applicants who possess a valid US driver's license

Application Process: We are currently accepting applications for the spring-summer 2008 session (April- August).

Internships, which ideally last three to four months, require a minimum ten-week commitment. Starting and ending dates are flexible. Please indicate in your cover letter the position for which you are applying. Please send a hard copy of your resume with your cover letter, college transcripts (unofficial are sufficient if not applying for internship credit), a list three references and contact information to the following address:

Dr. William S. Arnold- Internship Coordinator
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 8th Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-3095

You can also send your application by e-mail to: ManateeInterns@myfwc.com
For Information on FWRI:http://research.MyFWC.com/
For More Information on FWRIInternships:
http://research.myfwc.com/education/category_sub.asp?id=5148