Internships
We host undergraduate and graduate interns from the UK and abroad and we are an accredited work placement company.
Current Vacancies
We are currently open to applications for 2024 Summer Interns. Follow the below link to find out more and apply.
https://www.seatrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Summer-Internships-2024.pdf
We are currently recruiting for placement year students for 2024 – 2025. Please contact info@seatrust.org.uk if you’re interested.
Who we are
Sea Trust is a marine conservation charity based in the Ocean Lab, Fishguard Harbour, Pembrokeshire. We conduct daily land-based cetacean surveys and occasional ferry based cetacean surveys. We also run a small marine aquarium open to visitors and local school groups. The Sea Trust’s Sea Môr Aquarium is a catch and release aquarium with conservation education at its core. All funds raised from the running of this aquarium are used either to run or develop the aquarium or for our marine wildlife conservation work (cetacean surveys, photo-ID etc.)
What we offer
We host undergraduate and graduate interns from the UK and abroad and we are an accredited work placement company. Vacancies are advertised above.
Our internships last from 2 – 12 months.
Interns will be involved in a number of tasks including:
- Porpoise Photo ID Project: Conduct land-based Photo ID surveys of harbour porpoise (training provided including camera use); Update porpoise ID catalogue; Assist with data entry, analysis and write-up.
- Aquarium – We have a small catch and release aquarium. This is open to the public and we provide guided tours. The intern will assist with the aquarium maintenance (feeding, tank maintenance, releasing species and collecting new species and general cleaning). The intern will also assist with the guided tours which would be a great way of improving communication skills.
- Help with educational outreach activities – Sea Trust provides marine based educational activities for school groups. The intern will assist with these activities.
- Conduct cetacean surveys – Sea Trust perform regular surveys for Harbour porpoise, dolphins and whales. We conduct daily land-based cetacean surveys from Strumble Head and the outer breakwater. We also perform occasional surveys from the Stena Line Ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare (Ireland). There is a possibility that we will conduct small boat surveys during the summer.
- Recycle Mor Project – Assist with this project to collect and recycle end of life fishing gear.
- Data entry & analysis – Sea Trust have survey data that requires entering into Excel and analysing.
- General – Assist with front desk duties i.e. answer queries from public and take aquarium bookings. Keep work area tidy, clean & hoover upstairs area and yellow submarine. The aquarium floor needs sweeping and mopping on a regular basis.
We also take final year students who need to collect data for their final year dissertation. In 2017 we hosted Sophia Ellis from Swansea University. We’re happy to say she received a 1st for her project “Spatial and temporal variations in the distribution and abundance of harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, along a fixed transect between Fishguard and Rosslare Harbour“.
Interested in our internships?
Please get in touch to find out more!
A Day in the Life of a Sea Trust Intern – by Sophie Crouch
No two days at Sea trust are ever the same! Everyday you get to experience something different and you get to experience it all hands-on. Being an intern here allows you to be involved in every aspect of the running of a charitable trust and the important marine conservation work that goes on here.
Each day begins in the aquarium; first and foremost we need to look after the animals! Mornings consist of food preparation, animal checks, and preparing everything needed for the day ahead. Before long it’ll be time for the tours to start as we take members of the public on a guided tour of the aquarium. This is a great chance to interact with the public and to help inspire people of all ages about the local wildlife right on our doorstep.
Next up it’s time for surveying. As well as promoting the local wildlife, we also study it. Sea Trust primarily works towards the conservation of marine mammals, focusing on whales, dolphins and porpoises. Surveying these animals is a major part of your work as an intern (and you can hardly call this work!). A typical morning surveying starts up at Strumble Head, a major sighting point for porpoises. It’s rare to go a day without sightings here and a fantastic opportunity to see a range of marine animals without leaving the land.
A day of surveying would not be complete without a visit to the outer breakwater of Fishguard Harbour. This is a great sighting point for bottlenose dolphins, with some individuals being recognised as regularly returning to this location.
Some surveying days occur further a field, with regular trips on the ferry to Ireland as well as days out on a small boat surveying all things marine! Getting out on the deeper water gives us a great chance to see and record whale sightings, as we often see minke whales and fin whales, the second largest animal in the world. On top of this, large pods of dolphins and porpoises are regularly seen, as well as sharks, turtles, sunfish and tuna! You really can’t beat these days out in the Celtic and Irish Sea, so any opportunity to participate is a great privilege and a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed.
If you are looking to gain experience in marine conservation and have a passion for marine life, working as an intern for Sea Trust is one of the best opportunities out there. Everyday you learn something new and you have the privilege of observing the amazing species that our seas have to offer, all whilst working as part of a fantastic group of passionate people and gaining an experience that you will not find anywhere else.