Internships

Aquarist/Water Quality

Aquarist/Water Quality intern position will assist the Animal Care Department with daily care and maintenance of the aquarium’s fish and invertebrate systems as well as performing water quality testing on all animal habitats. Time would be divided between Clearwater Marine Aquarium property and our nearby property Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure, where there are several aquarium exhibits.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: exhibit cleaning, filter maintenance, algae and décor upkeep, water chemistry/record keeping using Excel, food preparation and feeding, animal observation, water changes, assisting in veterinary and husbandry procedures on fish and occasionally helping the Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Departments.

Qualifications:

Candidates should be pursuing a degree in biology, marine biology, aquaculture, chemistry, or other related field and possess the following qualifications:

• Some background knowledge of marine aquarium keeping.
• Broad knowledge of ecological and biological principles relating to marine habitats.
• Desire to work closely with marine fish and invertebrates.
• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs.
• Willingness to get wet and dirty in all weather conditions.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Community Relations

The Community Relations Internship is designed to help facilitate the visits of guests through the “Inspire Department” and VIP guests, while supporting the media relations and public relations of the aquarium. Guests visiting through the Inspire Department are individuals who have been inspired by Winter’s incredible story of perseverance, while also sharing a similar inspiring story. These guests include people with limb loss and limb differences, people battling diseases, Wounded Warriors, cancer survivors, or facing other difficult circumstances. The Community Relations Intern will also explore opportunities to expand the reach of the Inspire Department, reaching people all over the world inspired by Winter and the other rescued animals at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Facilitating the VIP Experience

• Collaborating with general inquiries and non-profit partners to process requests and plan VIP/Inspire visits
• Escorting VIP groups (weekend availability required)
  • Oversee animal interactions
  • Conduct specialized tours
  • Prepare gifts
  • Conduct video recorded interviews with Inspire Department guest to document how Winter’s story inspires them
• Record keeping of VIP/Inspire contacts
• Assist in event coordination for media events or Inspire Department events

Correspondence Program

• Sending Birthday/Get Well Soon cards and responding to/documenting fan mail
• Exploring programs to connect virtually with VIPs unable to travel
• Communicating with Inspire guests before they visit the aquarium to set up Facetime opportunities with the CEO and the Dolphin Tale movie actors, as well as answer any questions they may have about their visit
• Reach out to past Inspire Department guests to request photos and information about their inspirational story to use in CMA exhibits

Public Relations

• Assisting with the public relations efforts of Clearwater Marine Aquarium as needed
• Adding events and promotions to local community calendars
• Writing the inspirational stories of Inspire guests for the CMA website, press releases, and exhibits in the aquarium
• Assisting in writing and editing press releases and mass e-mails.
• Hosting media groups at the aquarium
• Monitoring media coverage using the aquarium’s media monitoring software

Desired Qualifications:

• Junior/Senior level student specializing in Public Relations, Media, Communications, Non-Profit Management, Education, Psychology or a related field
• Work or volunteer experience working with people with special needs/disabilities
• Strong communication skills, especially regarding public speaking and written correspondence
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs
• Ability to make independent decisions and manage projects with little supervision

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule

Dive Team

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium dive internship is designed to give students a fresh perspective into the realm of SCUBA diving careers — in particular, those relating to commercial and aquarium diving. CMA offers a wide variety of animal habitats, marine vessels, and off-site locations that our dive team maintains and trains in on a daily basis. At Clearwater Marine Aquarium, SCUBA diving opportunities are indeed limitless. This internship will provide undergraduates with the experience and opportunities necessary for a future in a diving related field.

A majority of the intern’s time will be spent working in teams to support and maintain CMA’s artificial marine habitats, vessels, and underwater workings of the facility. Additionally, interns will have the opportunity to participate in varied experiences to include, but not limited to, team building recreational dives, certification classes (at own cost), basic commercial/scientific diving skills courses, dive operations management, diving safe practices and emergency procedures, and diver interactions with marine life.

After completion of the internship, interns will have gained valuable diving experience that will help them succeed no matter what direction they want to go in terms of diving careers, and they will also have gained an insight into the daily behind-the-scenes operations that help keep an aquarium running smoothly.

Requirements:

Intern candidates must be (at least) a certified Open Water Diver from an internationally recognized certifying agency (must have completed OW training prior to start of internship), have current certification in CPR/First Aid, have a completed and approved Clearwater Marine Aquarium Medical Questionnaire, successfully complete the Clearwater Marine Aquarium swim skills assessment upon arrival, be capable of lifting 50+ pounds, and be able to work flexible hours and perform various physically demanding tasks under strenuous environmental conditions

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Education

As an intern you will play an important role in all aspects of the Education Department. From assisting on eco-boat tours to helping with offsite programs in the community, you will be involved in a variety of activities that provides valuable experience for future career goals. As an intern in the Department you will have opportunities to assist Marine Specialists aboard our Dolphin Adventure Tour when identifying the local wild bottlenose dolphins through photo-identification, performing water quality testing, recording and logging behavioral observations, and analyzing photographs.

You will also assist our marine specialist in data collection aboard the Sea Life Safari eco-boat tour by pulling an otter trawl net, sorting and identifying marine specimens and collecting water samples. Other experiences include husbandry of our educational animal ambassador and resident stingrays, assisting with guided kayak tours, and assisting with other educational programs.

Upon completing the internship, all Education interns will have gained experience in public speaking, classroom presentations and management, science education instruction, research, data entry, and guest relations.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9– August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Guest Experience

The Guest Experience is a vital component to operations at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure. If guests don’t enjoy their visit, they may not continue to support our work. A friendly, well-informed team member can take the guest experience to the next level, and truly immerse guests into our mission. Guest Experience Interns work alongside staff and volunteers to ensure all visitors learn about the resident animals, rehabilitation efforts, and the amazing work done every day at Clearwater Marine Aquarium – and that they have fun in the process.

What Will You Learn?

• PUBLIC SPEAKING: you will improve public speaking skills through repeated practice giving presentations on a microphone and leading behind the scenes tours. The ability to speak professionally is always in demand.
• PUBLIC INTERACTION: No matter what field you ultimately pursue, communication is vital. You will learn to interact with guests of all ages and interests, to share information with visitors and colleagues alike, and to successfully resolve complaints with unhappy visitors.
• HOW TO PITCH A PROJECT: there is always room for improvement in the guest experience! Interns work together to identify a project, then research all aspects of potential implementation before pitching their project to corporate executives.

What Should You Bring?

• A positive attitude
• Willingness to learn
• Flexibility
• Creativity

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

HR & Volunteer Management

The primary role of the HR/Volunteer Management Intern is to assist with the design, implementation and management of the HR/volunteer program. You will assist with the HR Administrator/Volunteer Coordinator’s chief responsibility of managing the HR/volunteer program, which includes marketing and recruitment; scheduling and supervision. As a HR/Volunteer Management intern, the need to handle community relations is of key importance. You will assist with management of all volunteer program-related communications and special events, as well as other duties and tasks assigned.

Qualifications:

Candidates applying for this position should posses the following:

• Exceptional organizational skills with reliability and consistency in work performance
• Flexibility with a team player mentality
• Ability to work with minimal to moderate supervision
• An extreme focus on good judgment with a proactive approach to problem-solving
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor with great interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task with the capability to learn quickly and integrate efficiently
• Maintain professional standards of performance, demeanor and appearance at all times
• Exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times, maintaining the strictest of confidentiality
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook)

Applicants should be pursuing a degree in HR or Volunteer Management.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Manatee Photo-Identification Internship

New offsite internship program near the Ocala National Forest. 

This internship will primarily consist of assisting research staff in their efforts to identify and document individual manatees that are utilizing springs near the Ocala National Forest. Interns will also assist with data entry, scar sketching, photo processing and upkeep of field equipment. If interested in applying, please click below for more information!

Marketing & Advertising

The Marketing & Advertising Assistant position at CMA will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the student chosen to intern during this exciting time at CMA. In the midst of filming and promoting our new digital web series, Rescue-Clearwater, there are opportunities to learn many different areas of the marketing world. This opening has potential to grow a student’s knowledge of marketing on a national level as well as participate in a cause-based capital campaign marketing effort. It is a unique internship where students will engage in the following educational experiences:

• To have students employed in a fast paced, out of the box, creative marketing environment while developing practical marketing and communications experience
• To challenge students ideas of conventional marketing practices to create unique and extraordinary results in a timely manner
• To analyze the relationship between the students’ undergraduate academic preparation and the processes/activities employed by non-profit organizations
• To provide students an opportunity to gain an insight into the marketing alongside a national media event in conjunction with an international marketing environment

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Although a portion of the responsibilities will be clerical, a large portion of the internship will be determined by the candidates specific skill set
• Assist in all aspects of social media marketing
• Assist in the development & completion of our brand new web site
• Help develop and implement donation campaigns
• Assist in the promotional campaign efforts for Rescue-Clearwater
• Research & update daily digital marketing analytics
• Assist in our email marketing efforts
• Other duties and tasks as assigned in a marketing/development context

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Marine Mammals

The Marine Mammal Training internship at Clearwater Marine Aquarium is designed to give students an inside look into what it takes to care for marine animals, with emphasis on Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and North American river otters. We use training as a way to stimulate our animals since they can never rejoin their counterparts in the open ocean. Our animals are trained for medical management behaviors, like blood draw, gastric and fecal samples, and even ultrasound. We also train mentally stimulating behaviors like mimicking and match-to-sample behaviors to challenge their intelligence and the ‘fun’ aerial behaviors such as bows, somersaults and speed swims to give them the same physical workout they would receive in the wild.

During your internship, you will learn how to prepare diets, maintain exhibits, provide enrichment and mental stimulation, keep behavioral records, and give public presentations to educate our visitors about these amazing animals and environmental conservation. You will also learn how trainers use principles such as positive reinforcement, classical conditioning and shaping to train these animals. Due to the fact that internships are custom designed to each individual’s skill level, you may or may not have the opportunity to assist trainers in behaviors, or even maintain some established behaviors by the end of your internship.

Qualifications:

Candidates should be able to perform physically demanding duties and be enrolled in a four-year college program in psychology, biology, marine biology or another related field and have some hands-on animal experience, such as volunteering at an animal shelter or completing other marine mammal internships at other facilities. SCUBA, First Aid and CPR certification is also a plus.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Please note — start and end dates are not flexible for this program.

Non-Profit Management

Do you want to learn more about non-profit management? If so, spend some time interning with the Development Director and Marketing Manager learning the ins and outs of the non-profit world. Some of the duties will include: data entry, donor software management & list maintenance, donor recognition, donor level benefit assigning, special event coordination, off-site representation, hotel marketing, advertising pitches and general administrative duties.

Qualifications:

Candidates should be pursuing a degree in management, development or marketing.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Rescue Team

The Rescue Team Internship program at Clearwater Marine Aquarium provides interns with a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience in the response of live and dead dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and North American river otters. The Rescue Team seeks enthusiastic, dedicated, and hardworking individuals who are interested in promoting wildlife conservation through stranding efforts.

Qualifications:

• Strong writing, communication, and organizational skills
• Enrolled or a graduate from a four-year college program pertaining to the field
• Physically capable of lifting up to 50lbs
• Flexible hours (e.g., possibly working on weekends and after hours)
• Previous experience in animal care or the marine science field is preferred

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responding to stranding events through first response, triage, crowd control, monitoring, transport, data collection, rehabilitation, release, carcass recovery, and/or necropsy as well through following sanitation and quarantine protocols. It is important to note that stranding events are variable and are thus not guaranteed.
• Monitoring the 24-hour Emergency Stranding Hotline
• Narrating for workshops, aquarium presentations, and outreach events
• Assisting with the maintenance of stranding facilities, equipment, and supplies
• Participating in the care of resident aquatic mammals through diet preparation and conducting ethograms
• Completing assigned internship projects (e.g., developing presentations, leading outreach events, etc.)

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Please note — start and end dates are not flexible for this program.

Sea Turtle and Aquatic Biology

The Sea Turtle and Aquatic Biology Internship at Clearwater Marine Aquarium provides interns with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with sea turtles, stingrays and various fish species. The Sea Turtle team is seeking adaptable and positive individuals to inspire guests to connect with our animal collection in a fun and relatable way through presentations, feedings, training and enrichment.

Qualifications:

• Currently or recently enrolled in a four-year college program in biology, environmental science, psychology, zoology or related fields.
• Able to perform physically demanding duties (i.e. lift up to 50lbs, work 8-hour shifts primarily active and on your feet).
• Able to work in adverse weather conditions (heat, humidity, direct sunlight).
• Commit to a set five-day per week schedule, including holidays.
• Experience with animal care is beneficial but not essential.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Assist in the care of resident sea turtles including food preparation (handling fish, shrimp and squid), feeding, behavioral training and enrichment, exhibit maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing working areas, animal records and routine medical care.
• Responsible for daily facility maintenance and care. May be required to work in sometimes slippery environments or use narrow walkways.
• Follow all Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) requirements for all aspect of sea turtles.
• Give presentations to the public regarding resident and rehabilitating animals, general sea turtle knowledge, and human interaction impacts.
• Complete internship projects and group tasks as assigned.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule

Sea Turtle Rehabilitation

The Sea Turtle Rehab team is seeking individuals who are positive, driven, and adaptable; and who are also interested in expanding their knowledge and skills in marine animal, husbandry, biology or wildlife conservation and rehabilitation. Please note that this is not a veterinary focused internship.

Qualifications:

• Currently or recently enrolled in a four-year college program in veterinary science, biology, marine biology, environmental science, or related fields.
• Commit to a set five-day per week schedule, including holidays.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Possess the ability to work well within a group and individually.
• Maintain a good attitude through busy or long days.
• Experience with animal care is beneficial but not essential.
• Able to perform physically demanding duties (i.e. lift up to 50lbs, work 8-hour shifts primarily active, on your feet, and outdoors).
• Able to work in adverse weather conditions (heat, humidity, direct sunlight), sometimes slippery environments and use narrow walkways.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Learn and understand the components that go into rehabilitation which includes knowledge of sea turtle species (i.e. sea turtle external and internal anatomy), husbandry and medical care.
• Learn daily facility and habitat maintenance and care, governmental agencies’ policies, procedures, permitting, and reporting for all aspect of endangered species.
• Follow all Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) requirements for all aspect of sea turtles.
• Provide assistance with necropsy, including but not limited to documentation, tissue handling, set-up, cleaning, and other duties as assigned.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule

Sea Turtle Nesting

The Sea Turtle Nesting internship is designed to give college students, or recent graduates, an opportunity to perform field research that is reported to government agencies. Interns will be trained to patrol 20.8 miles of beach, using CMA vehicles, and identify crawl tracks that nesting adult female sea turtles leave behind on the beach. Interns will also be responsible for scientific data collection, marking new nests, responding to activities that negatively impact nests such as depredation, washovers/washouts, excavating nests after they hatch, respond to adult and /or hatchling disorientation events, nighttime nest observations if needed, artificial lighting surveys, hatchling releases, public education and presentations.

Field work can be vigorous and may require extended hours walking in soft sand and working in the Florida heat. Nesting surveys are performed seven days a week despite inclement weather.

Qualifications:

• Be currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a four-year college program in biology, marine biology, environmental science, ecology or another related field. Preference may be given to recent graduates.
• Have a valid driver’s license.
• Have a reliable source of transportation (may have to use personal vehicle to access ATV storage location).
• Have a reliable source of communication, i.e. cellphone (will be used daily).
• Perform physically demanding duties (i.e. able to lift up to 50lbs, able to work 10 hour shifts primarily active and on your feet).
• Be comfortable working early in the morning and late at night, as you will participate in both shifts.
• Be comfortable working in extreme weather conditions (heat, sun, rain, wind, etc.).
• Be able to work well in both a group an individually.
• Have excellent communication skills, both oral and verbal.
• Possess a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and collect accurate data.
• Previous sea turtle experience is a plus, but not necessary.
• Previous experience operating 4-wheel drive vehicles or ATVs is a plus, but not necessary.

Dates:

Internships with the Nesting Team are available for the following dates. (Please select the summer internship session when applying.)
Applications Due: March 5, 2021

April – July

May – August

June – October

Special Events

This internship offers an educational experience working in a variety of functions in Event Sales & Operations. Duties include assisting Director of Planning & Events, and Event sales for administrative support, sales processes, event planning, execution, set up, and breakdown. Special projects may be assigned as needs arise.

The Special Events Intern will learn the ins and outs of event sales, and event operations with in-market, group, and event goals.

Qualifications:

• Degree focused on business management/administration, hospitality management or event management experience in hospitality or related industry is a plus.
• Possess excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Have a valid driver’s license.
• Ability to stand for long periods of time.
• Ability to lift over 50 pounds.
• Ability to work nights, weekends & holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend weekly sales and BEO meetings to learn the process that merges sales & operation procedures.
• Learn and assist with event database including sales leads, learning to create proposals, and assisting with completing additional documents to support overall success of CMA events.
• Represent Clearwater Marine Aquarium at outreach events.
• Research local event venue competition and compile data into a presentation.
• Shadow and assist Event management in all aspects of events including pre-planning, site visits, and preparing the event space.
• Managing & coordinate the process of event volunteer needs for each event.
• Learn the process of event follow up post event.
• Attend and assist with third party vendor meetings, manage note taking as needed.

Dates:

SUMMER 2021: May 10 – August 13*
Applications Due: February 26, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 13*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

Summer Camp

The Summer Camp Intern position is offered only during the summer term (May-August) in addition to the Education Intern opportunity. In this opportunity, interns will assist with our summer camp programs by leading classroom activities and participating in snorkeling trips and kayaking adventures with a variety of ages ranging from pre-kindergarten through high school.
Throughout the internship you will learn classroom management, develop your own marine science based lesson, and eventually lead a camp. Not only will you gain experience in teaching, but you will be able to expand your knowledge of marine science and our local ecosystem. For more insight onto what our camps are focused on, check out the camp brochure on our website.

Dates:

SUMMER 2021: May 10 – August 13*
Applications Due: February 26, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.

Video Assistant

The Video Assistant Intern position will aid in maintaining A/V equipment; assist with video shoot set up/breakdown, camera operation and video production.

Responsibilities may include the following:

• Monitoring and maintaining AV equipment
• Archiving video footage
• Set up, run and breakdown AV equipment for special events
• Set up and breakdown filming equipment for film shoots
• Run second camera for film shoots
• Film/document/archive events at CMA
• Video editing
• Training/projects

Qualifications:

Applicants for the video assistant internship should be comfortable working in hot/humid outdoor conditions, able to work flexible hours, and able to lift 50lbs. Previous video experience is preferred.

Dates:

FALL 2021: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 11, 2021

SPRING 2022: January 3 – May 13*
Applications Due: October 22, 2021

SUMMER 2022: May 9 – August 12*
Applications Due: February 25, 2022

FALL 2022: August 2 – January 14*
Applications Due: June 10, 2022

*Start and end dates are flexible to accommodate your school schedule.