Announcement for MARMAM - The Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) is recruiting interns for the spring summer field season. Positions include Marine Research Internships, a Coastal Monitoring Internship and Communications Internships. These are full-time positions requiring a six-month commitment from April through October. MERI is a nonprofit scientific research and education organization dedicated to understanding the impacts of environmental pollutants on marine mammals and human health. Located in Blue Hill, Maine, the MERI Center for Marine Studies operates in a unique coastal ecosystem bridging midcoast and "Downeast" Maine. The coastline is dotted with uninhabited islands, small fishing villages, boatyards and blueberry fields and provides habitat for a rich variety of terrestrial and marine wildlife. Interns will spend the summer working in this coastal ecosystem on the ocean and in the lakes and streams that feed the marine watershed. Current projects include Seals as Sentinels, a long-term investigation of the impacts of pollutants in northwestern Atlantic harbor seals and the Blue Hill Bay Coastal Monitoring Project. For more information about MERI's research and monitoring projects, visit our website: www.meriresearch.org <http://www.meriresearch.org/> . Primary Internship Responsibilities Marine Research Internships: Interns assist the Research staff with the implementation of the Seals as Sentinels project, MERI's long-term investigation of levels, trends, and effects of pollutants in northwest Atlantic harbor seals and their major prey fish. These internships provide an excellent training opportunity for individuals interested in marine mammal toxicology, veterinary sciences, and environmental health. Primary responsibilities include assisting with marine mammal stranding response, necropsies, sample collection and processing, performing literature searches, data interpretation, and science communication. Additional duties include assisting with a pilot pinniped monitoring survey, photo-documentation, and community outreach. Coastal Monitoring Internships: Interns assist the Monitoring Staff with the implementation of the Blue Hill Bay Coastal Monitoring Project. Primary responsibilities include water quality sampling at fresh and marine water sites, phytoplankton monitoring, water chemistry analysis in the field and in the laboratory, data entry and analysis. Additional duties include assisting with a pilot pinniped monitoring survey, photo-documentation, and education/ outreach activities. Communication Internships offer individuals interested in marine mammal sciences and ocean issues an opportunity to apply writing and graphics skills to articulate MERI's research and monitoring discoveries to the public. Communication Interns assist MERI's outreach and development programs through the MERI website, press articles, power point presentations, fact sheets, and other communications vehicles. Time Requirements April - October (Flexible start, six months minimum) Full-time (40 hours/week); additional hours to be agreed upon by employee and Director. Compensation Stipend and shared housing in Blue Hill, Maine. Housing is within walking distance to Marine Environmental Research Institute. Interns are responsible for all travel expenses and food. To Apply Contact Michelle Berger, <mailto:mberger@meriresearch.org> mberger@meriresearch.org, or Meggan Dwyer, <mailto:mdwyer@meriresearch.org> mdwyer@meriresearch.org For complete internship descriptions and application instructions, visit www.meriresearch.org <http://www.meriresearch.org/> . MERI is an Equal Opportunity Employer