The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is currently accepting applications for winter/spring 2024 Marine Mammal Stranding Internships.

IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internship

Winter/Spring Session 2024 (Middle of January, 2024 – Last Week of May, 2024)

Complete Applications due: October 15^th, 2023

Program Background

IFAW is an international non-profit organization. This internship is based out of our International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research program is a federally authorized program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. Our program strives to promote the conservation of marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care of stranded marine mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public awareness through education. Cape Cod is a marine mammal stranding “hot spot,” with an average of over 264 strandings occurring each year. These strandings include live and dead seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins. In addition to stranding response, IFAW’s MMRR division is introducing the Cetacean Intensive Care Unit (CICU) located at the Dolphin Rescue Center in Orleans, MA. CICU is a short-term holding facility (96 hours) that aims to provide rehabilitative care to dolphins and porpoises experiencing acute effects of stranding.

Stranding Intern Duties

Stranding hotline coverage: answer calls, document reports, educate callers, dispatch volunteers, complete associated paperwork and enter data.

· Marine mammal stranding response and necropsy: assist staff with all aspects of marine mammal stranding response, including live animal health assessment and supportive care, biological data collection, post-mortem examinations and sampling in both field and laboratory settings.

o May have the opportunity to assist the CICU program with aspects of their operations opportunistically and as needed. This could include animal care (i.e. in-water support, assist during procedures, monitoring animal behavior etc.), CICU education and outreach, CICU readiness and cleaning, etc.

Stranding / necropsy readiness: cleaning, organizing and maintaining stranding response and necropsy gear, equipment and facilities, restocking kits and supplies.
Data entry / sample processing: assist in entry of stranding data. Assist in organizing, cataloging, disseminating and archiving of photos, videos, datasheets, samples, etc.
Outreach: assist staff with training and outreach material preparation and organization, participate in opportunistic outreach at stranding sites, participate in community events.

Please see the following link for the full posting and to apply: https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8-c3385a35ec51/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=6d784de9-5b82-4a2c-ac7f-1afbfed13548

Kira Kasper (she/her)
Stranding Biologist
Marine Mammal Rescue and Research

290 Summer Street
Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
United States

Please note: my schedule varies regularly and I often work outside of the M-F 9-5 timeframe.

+1 774 721 1080 (work cell)
+1 508 743 9548 (stranding hotline)
www.ifaw.org