Internships
For more than 30 years the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society (OWUSS) has offered a variety of experience-based internships. Our goal is to foster development of the future leaders of the marine environment. We continue to believe that by investing in special young people, by exposing them to a broad array of activities in the underwater community and giving them opportunities to work with influential people who are leaders in aquatic disciplines, we are investing in the future of our oceans and lakes.
The OWUSS Summer internships are offered for a 1 to 3 month period and are primarily directed at college undergraduates and graduating seniors. Internship recipients will receive a grant to help fund travel to/from site, room and board, and a stipend to cover living expenses.
For 2012, the OWUSS plans to offer 1 internship in Europe and 6 summer internships in North America. Internship details are listed below. More internships may be offered, so please check this website periodically for updates. For North America, the application deadline is January 31, 2012
Europe
Young Underwater Photographer, Sponsored by Rolex
The European Young Underwater Photographer Internship, sponsored by Rolex, is offered annually to the best underwater image taken by a photographer under the age of 25 entered in the Antibes International Underwater Film Festival. This award provides funding that enables a young photographer to gain experience and broaden his or her understanding of underwater image making. This is achieved by assisting and accompanying professional or accomplished photographers in a project/projects uniquely suited to the recipient.
2011 Recipient: Illya Gubin
North America
Diving Safety Internship
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Diving Safety internship is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience at one of the world’s premier aquarium and research facilities. Responsibilities include supporting the Dive Safety Office through the formulation and enforcement of dive program policies, maintenance of equipment, in-water dive activities and diver training support. Additionally the intern may assist the Husbandry staff (including the Collectors and the Aquarists) in collecting and/or caring for the plant and animal collection
AAUS
Scientific Diving Internship
This internship will provide undergraduates with the experience and opportunities necessary for a future in science, diving for research, or scientific diving-related fields. Intern applicants can be students from colleges and universities with an interest in science and diving. The program runs primarily from mid-May through August and will include training at one of several AAUS organizational member sites. This training will give the intern the necessary dive qualifications to allow participation on research projects requiring scientific diving and introduce the intern to careers that utilize scientific diving as a tool. Once trained as an AAUS-recognized diver-in training, interns will participate in underwater field-work at one or more locations and research facilities associated with AAUS. The internship will be supported by funding for travel to/from site, room, board, and other internship-related expenses.
2011 Recipient: Jenna Walker
Divers Alert network
Diving Research Internship
The DAN Research Internship Program provides experiences that motivate young people toward careers in medicine, diving or dive-related fields. The program runs for a 2 month period. The internship starts at DAN headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, where interns receive an orientation to dive-related science and training for the research project.
The research project takes place at a busy dive resort, where the intern is assigned to collect data in support of a DAN Scuba Diving Intervention Study. This goal of this study is to reduce the incidence of diving mishaps by determining whether a checklist of pre-dive procedures can improve adherence of recreational scuba divers to rules of safe diving.
National Park Service
Research Internship
The National Park Service Research Internship will provide a unique opportunity to work with leading archaeologists, underwater photographers, and scientists in the National Park Service and other agencies in the American state and federal government. Specific work projects will be determined based upon interests of the intern as well as the needs of associated projects. The internship will be based in Denver Colorado but it is expected that the intern will travel to projects within the continental United States and potentially overseas as part of this internship. The internship could involve a specific project in a single park or a larger project in multiple parks. See what the NPS Intern is Doing Now.
2011 Recipient: Naomi Blinick
"Sport Diver" Magazine
Publishing Internship Sponsored by Sport Diver Magazine
Based in Winter Park, Florida, the recipient of this internship will gain valuable experience in supporting a complete 6-week publishing cycle of Sport Diver magazine, a leading publication in the scuba diving and travel markets. This is an opportunity to get real world experience in magazine publishing, including all facets of taking the product from start to finish.
2011 Recipient: Courtney Michalik
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)
Marine Conservation Internship
Offered in Key Largo, Florida, the Marine Conservation Internship provides an opportunity to experience the working at a nonprofit environmental organization. REEF is a grass-root, non-profit organization of recreational divers dedicated to protecting and preserving the underwater environment. Outside duties include environmental presentations to local and visiting school, university, dive and public groups; working with other local marine conservation entities; and opportunities for conducting marine life surveys during local dives. Office duties include handling memberships, incoming marine life survey data, answering e-mail and dealing with the public.