Praktikumsstellen

Internships Dolphin Photo-Identification

The Marine Mammal and Protected Resources (MMPR) Program in Charleston,

South Carolina is recruiting to fill two Dolphin Photo-identification

Internship positions for the Summer of 2007. The MMPR is organized

within NOAA’s National Ocean Service and is located at the Coastal

Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) laboratory in

Charleston, SC. The intern position involves a commitment of 20 hours

per week extending over a 15 week period from Monday, May 5, 2008 to

Friday, August 15, 2008. There is some flexibility in these start and

end times, however, especially for applicants whose Spring semester

would require a later start time. Interns will participate in the field

and laboratory activities of the Charleston Dolphin Abundance and

Distribution Project (CDAD). Three useful sources of information about

the CDAD project are: 1) Zolman, E. 2002. Residence patterns of

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Stono River estuary,

Charleston County, South Carolina. Marine Mammal Science 18:879-892; and

2) The Charleston Dolphin Abundance and Distribution (CDAD) Project:

Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) for Field and Photographic Analysis

Procedures; and 3) Speakman, T., E. Zolman, J. Adams, R.H. Defran, D.

Laska, L. Schwacke, J. Craigie, and P. Fair. 2006. Temporal and spatial

aspects of bottlenose dolphin occurrence in coastal and estuarine waters

near Charleston, South Carolina. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 37.

You can download pdf versions of these documents at the web sites listed

below.

The CDAD project carries out boat-based photo-identification surveys in

the coastal and inland waterways of the Charleston SC area. This

research is designed to provide an understanding of the population

characteristics, including temporal and spatial aspects, of the

distribution of Charleston area Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The

internship offers an excellent opportunity for qualified and motivated

individuals to obtain field and laboratory training in

photo-identification methodology and analysis under the mentorship of

experienced dolphin researchers. There is no compensation for this

internship position and the successful applicant will be responsible for

their living and transportation expenses during the time of the

internship. During the internship interns must have a personal vehicle

to allow them to travel to and from the laboratory and to some of the

local field sites in the Charleston area. Ideal internship applicants

will be advanced undergraduates or a recent graduate of a scientifically

oriented university program in the behavioral or biological sciences. A

typical applicant should have a strong interest in the scientific study

of cetacean behavioral ecology, have potential interests in future

graduate study in marine mammal science, and is an individual who seeks

extensive and intensive exposure to the field work, data analysis

techniques, and research literature in this field. Preference will be

given to the selection of interns with well developed computer skills

and boat-based field experience. The internship application will consist

of a letter of interest, transcripts of university coursework and two

letters of recommendation from professors or research supervisors who

are familiar with your scholarship, research skills and work habits.

Interested applicants should first correspond with Todd Speakman by

email before preparing and submitting application materials. We

anticipate filling this internship position by late March 2008.

Interested applicants should correspond by email to Todd Speakman Email:

Todd.Speakman@noaa.gov