Welcome 2023 Summer Interns!
Our 2023 Summer Interns have completed their first four weeks of their internship, and so far, they have had some fantastic opportunities including:
- Visiting Shoals Marine Laboratory and learning about marine mammal physiology
- Visiting UNH Coastal Marine Laboratory and learning about sustainable aquaculture
- Interacting with guest speakers from Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Blue Planet Strategies
- Participating in beach clean-ups and microplastics sorting
- Assisting with an outreach program featuring our 65-ft inflatable whale
- Suggesting names for individual humpback whales
- Matching humpback whales to a catalog of images
- Collecting detailed data for our whale research program
- Oh, and watching whales, seals, and basking sharks during whale watching trips with Granite State Whale Watch!
Even though the weather this spring has been less than ideal, our interns are making the best of their time here with us! We love their enthusiasm and passion for learning!
Where do our interns come from? All over! This summer, our interns are from CA, MA, NH, and NJ. They range from upcoming juniors to recent graduates. But they all have several things in common, including a desire to experience the marine life of the Gulf of Maine first-hand, learn data collection techniques, make professional connections in the field of marine science, and meet like-minded colleagues.
When asked what has been their favorite part of the internship so far, this is what they had to say:
Julia: “My favorite part of the internship so far has been all the different people I’ve met and how they are using their different strengths and interests to protect marine wildlife and the environment. It’s shown me that there are so many different opportunities to get involved with marine conservation and how so many roles can come together toward one goal!”
Hannah: “My favorite thing so far was getting to see a spinning head breach from one of the new juvenile humpbacks!”
Graham: “There are so many things about this internship that have been amazing and fun; it is hard to pick my favorites. I would say that seeing humpback whales Pinball and her calf play around is definitely up there. I also loved seeing a basking shark jump. It was so unexpected and insane. Also on the list is Dross and her calf. I just love how curious and energetic her calf is. Getting the opportunity to go to the Isles of Shoals was also incredible.”
Avery: “My favorite thing so far was seeing humpback whales Dross and her calf together, and the calf was doing all sorts of behaviors, so that was awesome! I also have loved getting to know the other interns, naturalists, captains, and crew!”
Are you interested in becoming an intern with us? Click here for more information about our program!
