Five Month Internship, National Park Service (Cape Hatteras): Biology Assistant

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Biology Assistant

Park Unit: Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Location: Manteo, North Carolina

Number of positions available: 2

Can this position be fully remote: NO

INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH

Duration: 20 Weeks

Start Date: 5/1/2023

Flexible Start Date: YES

LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:

Weekly Stipend: $480.00

Relocation Allowance: $350.00

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This position will perform routine biological science tasks common to natural resource management for sea turtle monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The intern will perform primarily routine functions with monitoring sea turtle nesting, such as early morning beach patrols to locate nests and false crawls. The intern will also identify and remove marine debris in potential nesting areas. The intern will collect and organize field data and ensure adequate quality control of the data collected. The intern will perform collection of biological samples and record all data collected and provide preliminary assessment and classification of the information. The intern may install, operate, and maintain resource management equipment (e.g., tools, fencing, and posts). The intern will use GPS units, ArcGIS Online, and manage an online database. The intern will learn barrier island ecology and barrier island geological processes. The desired outcome for the internship is to develop independent, self-motivated, task orientated, safety minded interns who significantly contribute to the natural resource program.

DELIVERABLES

The intern will provide daily sea turtle patrols, complete datasheet records, enter data, use AGOL, and online database entry for up to 500 sea turtle nesting activities. The intern will also identify and remove marine debris in potential nesting areas. The 20-week internship will be at the peak of sea turtle nesting in North Carolina and is full time work. The data collection and entry will contribute to Cape Hatteras National Seashore's annual reporting. Biological samples collected by interns contribute to a DNA mark recapture population study of adult female sea turtles. The intern will provide a preliminary end of season report on the project goals to be used in the annual summary.

DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS

Successful candidates should have some coursework in university level biology, ecology, GIS, geology, and/or other related wildlife science coursework preferable at the junior or senior level. Candidates should be able to meet physical demands of the job - position requires walking, digging, and UTV riding in soft sand. UTV safety and skills training will be provided. Ability to spend long hours in the field under hot, humid, shade-less, and windy conditions, patience, and ability to live amicably in field housing with other staff is desired.

The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident (“green-card-holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required.

WORK SETTING

Natural Environment: Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located in eastern North Carolina. A thin, broken strand of islands curves out into the Atlantic Ocean and back again in a sheltering embrace of North Carolina's mainland coast and offshore sounds. For thousands of years these barrier islands—North Carolina's Outer Banks—have survived onslaughts of wind and sea. Their long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and woodlands are set aside as Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Cape Hatteras National Seashore protects parts of three barrier islands: Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. Beach and sound access ramps, campgrounds, nature trails, and lighthouses can be found and explored on all three islands. Outer Banks weather is notoriously unpredictable and can change quickly. The area experiences thunderstorms, high winds, rain, high heat, extreme cold, tornados or waterspouts, and hurricanes. It is often hot and humid and sometimes the heat index exceeds 100 °F. The communities in the Outer Banks offer grocery stores, hardware stores, gift shops, and restaurants. The closest hospital is located in Nags Head, NC.

Physical Work Environment: Work is primarily performed outdoors, and field work requires sometimes arduous physical exertion such as walking or hiking over wet, uneven, or loose surfaces while carrying field data collection equipment; bending; crouching, stooping, lifting, digging or reaching to observe, collect, or record field data. Outdoor work may occur in hot, cold, humid, or dry weather conditions.

VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

HOUSING

Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant.

Shared house with private room, shared kitchen, bathroom and washer/dryer. Intern will need to bring bedding (sheets, pillows, etc.).

KEYWORDS

sea turtle, data collection, monitoring, marine debris, coastal morphology