Internship: Right Whale Ecology Program (RWEP) - Habitat
Center for Coastal StudiesAbout the role
Job Title: Right Whale Ecology Program (RWEP) Habitat Intern Reports to: RWEP Marine Ecologist Job Classification: Seasonal Intern Pay: $15/hour; housing provided Hours: An average of 40 hours/week; including weekends and holidays as fieldwork requires Term: January 04, 2027 through May 28, 2027 FLSA Status: Non-exempt Application Deadline: September 28, 2026 by 5pm
Job Summary: The RWEP conducts long-term monitoring of North Atlantic right whale abundance, distribution, behavior, and prey in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent Massachusetts waters. The habitat intern will participate in research cruises as a marine observer, working alongside the photo-id intern and assisting the RWEP marine ecologist in zooplankton and environmental data collections. Lab responsibilities include zooplankton species identification and counts, archiving samples, data entry, and maintaining field equipment. Office responsibilities include database entry and may also assist in photo-analysis (matching right whale individuals to known animals using an online and in-house catalog).
Essential Duties
Identification of marine mammals Collecting behavioral, environmental, and sightings data (other species, vessels, marine debris, and fishing gear) Zooplankton collection and identification Database entry and maintenance Maintaining vessel field equipment
Minimum Requirements
A Bachelor’s degree, preferably in biological/ environmental sciences Good memorization skills and strong attention to details Basic computer literacy and experience using Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) Experience working on boats, ability to withstand harsh elements for up to 10 hours at a time Not prone to serious seasickness Must be able to live and work well in a team Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab-based research methods Ability to work well under pressure.
Preferred Requirements
Plankton identification Microscopy experience Marine observer experience Not prone to seasickness A vali