Summer Intern

Job Description

Summer Intern | Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative

The Tone:
This is a paid internship opportunity for Indigenous youth at Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative, located in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia. The initiative is a collaborative project spearheaded by the Future of Marine Ecosystems lab at Dalhousie University, in partnership with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and the Geomicrobiology Group at the University of Calgary, alongside other local organizations and communities. It focuses on the critical study and restoration of vital eelgrass meadows off the coast of Nova Scotia, which are essential for supporting fisheries, preventing coastal erosion, providing habitat, and capturing carbon. This role is crucial in directly supporting the project’s scientific and community engagement efforts to enhance awareness and re-establish connection to these important marine ecosystems, with occasional travel to field sites around Nova Scotia.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Seasonal
• Location: Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Pay: $25 hourly
• Team: Team of researchers and students
• Mission: Support scientific research and community engagement focused on restoring vital eelgrass ecosystems across Nova Scotia.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Equipment Preparation: Prepare essential equipment for various research activities, ensuring all necessary gear is ready for both field and lab operations.
• Field Support: Provide direct support during fieldwork, which includes participating in snorkeling, assisting with the organization and handling of gear on research boats, and offering shoreline support.
• Fieldwork Tasks: Participate actively in diverse fieldwork activities, such as taking crucial sediment samples, monitoring eelgrass meadows for signs of seed production and overall growth, engaging in seed harvesting, conducting eelgrass replanting experiments, and performing Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling.
• Lab Work: Analyze collected sediment samples in a laboratory setting, contributing to the understanding of the ecosystem.
• Microorganism Naming: Contribute to the naming of newly discovered microorganisms found off the coast of Nova Scotia, collaborating with the University of Calgary and potentially participating in or hosting community naming events and planning youth activities.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Indigenous youth aged 18 – 30 years, eligible to apply from anywhere in Canada, with a genuine curiosity to learn about scientific work, marine biology, climate change research, and community engagement.
• Experience: No previous research or fieldwork experience is necessary for this role, as comprehensive learning opportunities will be provided.
• Skills: Comfort and proficiency in operating in and around water, including the ability to swim, coupled with an openness to learning how to snorkel and operate non-motorized watercraft such as paddle boards and canoes.