The Northeast Regional Office (NERO) of the National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking interns!
Our internships offer hands-on opportunities to learn about NERO’s work in planning, organizing and implementing programs for fishery management, resource allocations, and habitat and protected species (endangered and threatened species and marine mammals) conservation. We work with our interns to help them develop skills in their chosen areas, and network with staff and individuals in their professions.
NERO seeks to widen and deepen the applicant pool it draws from for its workforce by developing new contacts and relationships with minority serving institutions, other educational institutions having a diverse student body, and multicultural student organizations. We’re seeking talented students to work in challenging internship positions throughout the organization.
We are now accepting applications for our 2010 Summer Internship Program. The application deadline for this program is February 22, 2010.
To learn more about what interns do at NERO, and about your life this summer on the North Shore of Massachusetts, visit The Student Life page.
Internship Program Information
The NERO Summer Internship Program is designed to provide undergraduates and graduate students with an opportunity to learn about marine resource management. NERO offers internships at its offices in Gloucester, MA.
Eligibility: A candidate must be an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or have graduated from college/graduate school within twelve months of beginning the internship. Internship applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.
General Information: NERO offers a 10-week internship begin on June 8th, 2010 and ending on August 13th, 2010. Interns are expected to work full time, 40 hours per week. Summer internships offer a stipend of $440 per week for undergraduate students, and $550 per week for graduate students. Housing is provided at either nearby Salem State University or Endicott College. Transportation to and from our Gloucester office is provided, though students are encouraged to bring a car to Massachusetts for the summer for transportation outside of work hours.
Application Procedures: Candidates must complete an internship application form (you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print this file—the form is fillable) and submit it with a cover letter, resume and unofficial transcript for all post-secondary institutions attended. All application items must be submitted as a complete package. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Application Deadlines: For the summer program, applications must be received by February 22nd.
Email (preferred), mail or fax applications to:
Ms. Aja Peters-Mason
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930
aja.peters-mason@noaa.gov
FAX: (978) 281-9135
Please forward any questions or concerns by email.
Internship Opportunities
Following is a list of internship positions available at NERO. Applicants should indicate their top 4 internship choices in the space provided on the application form.
| SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES DIVISION |
| Interactive web-based tool for Northeast Closed Fishing Areas -- NOAA is increasing its use of marine spatial planning to accomplish sustainable fisheries management. East coast fisheries are managed using individual Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), each of which has seasonal and year-round management areas. Fisheries constituents often have permits for several fisheries that require them to navigate management areas from several fisheries at once. Currently, NMFS has need of an interactive, web-based tool that would allow fisheries constituents to select and compare seasonal and year-round closed area maps for all FMPs. This tool would provide a useful visual display of complex regulatory interactions between different fisheries for fishermen and managers alike. We’re seeking an intern with GIS experience (web experience is a plus). |
| Create and Update Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Public Outreach Materials -- Multiple regulations govern Federal fisheries activities in the Northeastern United States. Regulatory language, while concise for strict interpretation of the law, can be difficult for the general public to find and understand. Outreach materials have been produced for most Federal FMPs to help the fishing industry better understand Federal fishing rules. These materials need to be continuously updated because regulatory changes happen frequently. The intern selected for this internship will review the current outreach materials and consult with Sustainable Fisheries staff to identify needs for updated and new outreach materials. Some examples include developing an information sheet that succinctly details the regulatory process and explains opportunities for fishing industry to get involved in regulatory development. Interns will get to interact with senior fishery policy analysts, learn about the fishery regulatory process and the federal laws governing fishery management. The intern will get a chance to creatively apply ideas for successful public outreach. |
| Develop and Take Part in Public Outreach Activities to Northeast Recreational Fishing Constituents -- Multiple fishing regulations govern recreational fishing activities in Federal Waters and a new recreational fishing national registry for recreational anglers has been established for 2010. Accurate data collection for the recreational fishery requires the cooperation of the recreational fisheries community. There is a need to inform the recreational fishing community of new Federal requirements, and to encourage their participation in programs to improve the information collection program on their fishing activities. Final project products will be a power point presentation on the rationale for and what are the new Federal Angler Registry requirements, and a report that reviews the northeast state marine fishing licensing efforts (Maine to Virginia) with an analysis to identify what state licensing programs would provide adequate information to allow the state to be exempt for the Federal angler registry requirements. |
| PROTECTED RESOURCES DIVISION |
| River Herring in Massachusetts -- There is a need for a comprehensive view of the distribution, abundance and conservation efforts on behalf of river herring in Massachusetts. We are seeking an intern with GIS expertise and interest in natural resource management. The project will entail creating a list/database and map of all known river herring runs in Massachusetts. For each of these runs, the intern would determine if there is a community group collecting data and mapping the runs, identify which runs are under municipal control, and identify what data they are specifically collecting. The intern will then compare the data collection methods being used to those identified by Gary Nelson (MADMF) in the river herring protocols as being sufficient to statistically estimate run sizes. The intern will then cross-checking these rivers with the rivers where Brad Chase (MADMF) will be deploying temperature data loggers. If time allows, the intern will also identify the presence of dams on these rivers, presence and efficiency of fish ladders, and any restoration activities. |
| HABITAT CONSERVATION DIVISION |
Internship in Habitat Conservation/Marine Affairs -- The Habitat Conservation Division works to protect living marine resources and habitat affected by development in the marine environment. The Division applies its expertise and skill sets to careful strategy development, geographical coverage and project type impacts identification, and formulation of conservation recommendations in a broad suite of coastal development issues. The Habitat Conservation Division is seeking an intern with a focused interest in the subject area; a strong foundation in academic courses in marine affairs, environmental management, conservation biology; demonstrated writing skills; interest in observing how a government agency utilizes and applies information to serve the public. The intern, as a junior team member, will research, evaluate and produce information on at least one coastal project development issue proposed to operate in the marine aquatic environment. For examples of the types of projects coastal development issues typically addressed by the Division, please review our Monthly Highlights from 2009.
The intern will help identify policy issues, determine what information exists and what information is needed to enable the team to address our regulatory authorities. The intern will be included in strategy development discussions with the team to observe how agency positions are formulated and implemented. The information will help with the development of knowledge base and perspective on how to approach these projects, and identify and address impacts on fish and habitat resources.
Mentoring by staff will be provided. At least one field visit will be included to view an actual project. In addition to the standard application materials, interns desiring to work in the Habitat Conservation Division will be required to include a brief statement (approx. 50 words) of personal interest. |
| OPERATIONS AND BUDGET DIVISION |
Aquaculture is the fastest growing form of food production in the world. It is also a significant source of protein for people in many countries, including the United States. Globally, nearly half the fish consumed by humans is produced by fish farms. Nationally, interest in aquaculture has also become more intense on both a political and regulatory level, as evidenced by proposed Federal legislation establishing a regulatory framework for the development of offshore aquaculture resources in the United States.
At the regional level, the Northeast Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service is seeing a level of aquaculture research and management activities (through grants, outreach, and workshops) that it has not seen since the mid-1990s. This, in turn, has brought renewed attention on the need to address outstanding environmental management concerns associated with a still-nascent, but growing marine aquaculture industry in the United States. |
Aquaculture in the Northeast: Case Studies -- In consultation between the intern and their mentor here in the office, a subject would be chosen for initial research (for example: cod aquaculture in an offshore environment). Then the intern would research the issue and then summarize into a 2-3 page document present knowledge and practices regarding their chosen subject.
During the next phase the intern would work on the specifics of the project.
The project would involve 3 assignments.
1) The first assignment would be to decide what information would have to be known in order to actually answer the question. The intern should make a list of items, why they are important and how they would find them out. During this phase the mentor and intern would work closely to ensure the direction was suitable to the goals.
2) Next the intern would conduct a site visit to spend the day taking pictures and notes from major stakeholders (the owner of an aquaculture operation, a commercial fisherman, a marina owner, five at the most and not really meant to be a research project, but rather to put a face on each side of the issue).
3) Finally, the intern would write a paper on their findings and present it to you and your colleagues in a formal presentation. |
Offshore Aquaculture Development -- In this project the intern would develop a "white paper" on the up and coming technology for off-shore aquaculture development. The intern, in consultation with their mentor, would be given a specific topic and contact information of who is/was working on that technology in the northeast. The intern would then research the topic, including interviewing current and past practitioners, viewing existing facilities, literature searches for research and examples of similar technology in other countries and regions. They can develop a narrative of the current state of the technology and the pros and cons for its successful application in the offshore environment in the northeast.
A number of topics are possible, including static longline mussel culture, submersible net pens, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), coupling aquaculture with other offshore structures (i.e. wind farms), specific species development, like cod and fluke, and etc. |
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