Woods Hole Science Aquarium Announces 2013 Summer Programs for High School Students

The Woods Hole Science Aquarium (WHSA) is offering three summer programs for high school students in 2013, a five-week internship and two two-week seminars devoted to careers in marine science. All three programs are designed for students who are interested in marine science and marine animals, aquarium operations, and marine education and conservation.     
                                                     
Interns in the five-week program will spend approximately 25 hours per week in the aquarium helping to care for animals. The interns will learn about animal husbandry and will be trained as assistant naturalists for shore-side collecting trips for the public. Interns are expected to help with cleaning tanks, preparing fish food, and other animal husbandry chores that can be messy and smelly. The five-week program will run from June 24 through July 26.; In the last two weeks, the interns will participate in the two-week Careers seminar.

The Careers in Marine Science seminars will run from July 15-26 and July 29 to August 9.  The seminar are designed to give students an idea of what people working in Woods Hole science institutions do, and how different disciplines contribute to the larger effort to understand the marine world and to manage marine resources wisely.

Seminar participants will learn animal husbandry and basic aquarist skills, hear presentations from scientists working in a variety of fields, go on collecting trips, and visit other science institutions and aquariums.

To participate in either the internship or the seminar, students must have finished 10th, 11th or 12th grade and must be at least 16 years old by June 24. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship.  Application forms are available in the aquarium and online at http://aquarium.nefsc.noaa.gov/hsinterns.html/. Applicants must also provide a transcript and two references. E-mail applications are welcome.  All application materials must be postmarked by March 15.  The 2013 interns and seminar participants will be announced by April 1.

The Woods Hole Science Aquarium holds approximately 120 species of marine animals in several dozen tanks that provide cold water, temperate water, and tropical water habitats. In a typical summer the aquarium hosts more than 50,000 visitors from all 50 states and more than 50 countries.

The summer programs are run by the staff of the Woods Hole Science Aquarium and are a project of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service in partnership with the Marine Biological Laboratory.

The aquarium welcomes applications from students of all backgrounds. Students from groups currently under-represented in marine sciences are especially encouraged to apply – this includes African American, Cape Verdean, Hispanic, and Native American students. 

Questions about the program may be directed to George Liles, WHSA Curator, (508) 495-2037, or george.liles@noaa.gov.