Research & Monitoring

In order to apply for a Research Assistant internship, you must have completed the majority of the student level courses at Conservation Diver or have the equivalent practical fields skills to conduct such research.

• Indirectly supervise new students during the restoration and research diving activities
• Prepare conservation equipment for the day (ie. slates, pencils, tools, reels, etc)
• Encourage productive discussion during group activities
• Assist on the dive boat with equipment set-up and perform a pre-dive safety checks and carried out by divers
• Help to clean and put away the equipment after the dive
• Enter data collected
• Assist with after dive activities, including but not limited to: artificial reef construction, cleaning
• Manage beach clean up programs
• Complete an independent conservation or research initiative which includes written report or presentation

To join the Whale Research Assistant Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.
2. Highly recommended to obtain a camera (DSLR, Mirrorless with at least 300mm zoom)

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the 5 Whale Research Assistant lectures
• Read all textbook chapters
• Complete textbook chapter reviews
• Complete the Whale Research Assistant exam and score at least 80%
• Pass the group presentation task
• Attend the practical briefing prior to the observation boat trip
• Manage and Input into Database
• Complete Whale Museum tour with given presentation
• Demonstrate proper photo-ID techniques
• Demonstrate a good level of boat management skills and competency
• Complete at least 8 boat trips to attempt to find and observe cetaceans

To join the Whale Conservationist Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the Whale Ecology and Research Lecture
• Complete the Whale Conservationist Exam and score at least 80%
• Attend the practical briefing prior to the observation boat trip
• Complete at least 1 boat trips to attempt to find and observe cetaceans
• If cetaceans are observed, collect relevant data and photographs as per local standards
• Attend debriefing and data entry

To join the Shark Ecology & Population Studies Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend 1 lecture on Shark Ecology and Population Studies
• Perform a dive OR snorkel to observe sharks
• Record data on shark observations
• Enter data into Conservation Diver and partner databases

To join the Sea Turtle Hatchery & Head-Starting Programs Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.
4. Certifications: Interested individuals must have completed the following certifications offered by our program:
   • Sea Turtle Ecology and Monitoring Course

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend 1 lecture and 1 practical briefing
• Take data on sea turtle growth (weight and shell length) if at a nursery or rehabilitation program
• Perform at least three of the following activities:
  • Take data on sea turtle growth (weight and shell length)
  • Perform cleaning, feeding, and maintenance activities
  • Undertake night beach patrols
  • Learn how to protect and/or relocate sea turtle nests to a hatchery
  • Take data on nesting sea turtles
  • Take data on hatching success rates
• Complete exam

To join the Sea Turtle Ecology & Monitoring Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the lecture on Sea Turtle Ecology and Monitoring
• Complete the Sea Turtle Ecology and Monitoring Exam and score at least 80%
• Attend the practical briefing prior to the observation dive
• Complete at least 1 dive to attempt to find and observe sea turtles (note: if sea turtles are not found participants can still receive the certification)
• If a sea turtle is observed, collect relevant data and photographs as per local standards
• Attend debriefing and data entry (if no turtles were found, briefing will still be giving as if a turtle was observed to understand the ID process)

To join the Seagrass Ecology & Monitoring Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.
4. Certifications: Interested individuals must have completed the following certifications offered by our program:

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the practical session to understand the monitoring techniques used to survey seagrass
• Practice identifying seagrass on land using photo analysis and/or specimens
• Perform 2 survey dives to analyse seagrass coverage and density using different methodologies
• Be able to accurately identify at least 5 of the most common seagrass genera to the region
• Complete e-Learning

To join the Seahorse Ecology and Monitoring Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend 1 seahorse lecture
• Attend 1 seahorse dive briefing
• Complete ID quiz using dichotomous key and seahorse photos
• Complete 1 seahorse survey dives (in 2 different roles)
• Enter GPS data into Google Earth
• Enter sightings and data into the iSeahorse.org and other relevant databases (if seahorse was observed)

To join the Nudibranch & Sea Slug Ecology Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the nudibranch and sea slug lecture
• Complete the Sea Slug Quiz with a passing grade of at least 80%
• Attend at least 1 briefing involving procedures for diving in soft-sediment habitats (aka. muck habitat)
• Conduct at least 1 survey to observe and record sea slugs
• Complete identification of 2 different species (underwater or using photos) using online and library resources

To join the Mineral Accretion Technology Program, participants need to meet the following criteria:

1. Age Requirement: Applicants must be 12 years of age or older.
2. Diver Certification: Applicants should hold certification as an Advanced diver from a recognized diving organization such as PADI, SSI, RAID, or similar. Alternatively, Open Water divers can be eligible if they have successfully completed a buoyancy appraisal under the guidance of a professional diver.
3. Diving Proficiency: Applicants need to showcase advanced diving skills, including excellent buoyancy control and self-awareness.
4. Certifications: Interested individuals must have completed the following certifications offered by our program:
   • Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) certification
   • Artificial Reef Theory and Techniques

Upon Enrollment in the Course, participants will be required to:

• Attend the lecture on climate change impacts to coral reefs, and mineral accretion devices
• Visit a mineral accretion device for data collection, monitoring, and maintenance
• Complete and pass the written exam