Apologies for cross-posting.
Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) - Volunteer Research Assistants/Interns - Summer 2010
Connecticut, USA and Bimini, The Bahamas
The Dolphin Communication Project (DCP,
www.dolphincommunicationproject.org)
is currently seeking two interns for the summer of 2010. These internships have
both field and office components, both of which are mandatory, and total 8–12
weeks.
DCP looks at how dolphins communicate
and attempts to shed more light on the meaning of their interactions. With
research ongoing since 1991, our questions focus primarily on communication and
behavior among dolphins. As a team, DCP research scientists study four groups of
dolphins in three countries. Interns are needed at our Bimini, Bahamas research
site, where we study Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins. An abbreviated
publication list is available at the end of this
post.
Responsibilities
In the
field:
¨
Travel to
and assist for 3-4 weeks at our Bimini research site (exact dates TBD, likely
beginning mid-July)
¨
Assist
gathering data (general observations, photographs, underwater video) during 4-6
hour/day boat excursions
¨
Complete
photo-identification of dolphins from still photography and video as well as
other data analysis tasks
¨
Assist with
on-board and outreach education
At the
office:
¨
Travel to
and assist office staff for 4-6 weeks at our Connecticut office (exact dates
TBD, likely prior to field component, beginning ~1
June)
¨
Process and
analyze data, including, but not limited to: photo-identification of individuals
from other DCP research sites, conducting detailed focal follows from video data
for behavioral analyses, and acoustic analysis of dolphin sounds
¨
Assist in
the development and implementation of education programs for schools and the
general public
Requirements
Successful interns must have basic
computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Current enrollment in a degree-seeking program, background in science and/or
animal behavior and experience on boats and/or with photo-identification are all
desired, but not necessarily required. The successful candidates will be
comfortable on a boat for several hours at a time in varying conditions. They
will also be proficient swimmers with the desire to improve free-diving skills.
They will be able to work as a team both at the office and in a fairly remote
and isolated field setting. Good writing and public speaking skills are a must,
as is attention to details. Interns must be at least 18 years of
age.
Expenses and Compensation
This is an unpaid internship. Interns
are responsible for their own transportation to Bimini and Connecticut. There is
a $1,000.00 fee which will cover expenses in the field, including room and
partial board. Room, board and transportation while in Connecticut are the
responsibility of the intern, although assistance in securing this may be
available.
Interested applicants should review
information at this link: http://tinyurl.com/DCPinternship. Interested
applications should read this page thoroughly before
applying.
Send a completed application
(downloadable and detailed at the link above) to kmelillo@dolphincommunicationproject.org. Applications are due 1 February 2009. Due to field schedules, only
electronic applications will be accepted. Interviews (in-person or via
telephone) may be arranged for selected candidates.
For more information, please contact
Kelly Melillo at kmelillo@dolphincommunicationproject.org.
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Selected Refereed
Publications:
(for a full list of
publications by DCP researchers, please visit: