Research Intern

Research Internship Opportunities

The Sea Watch Foundation is seeking Research Interns for the 2025 season at its field office in Anglesey, North Wales, to engage in an exciting citizen science initiative to engage local communities and visitors in observing and recording marine mammals and birds as part of a marine conservation project.

This position will suit volunteers who have a strong interest in marine conservation and recognise the importance of raising awareness of the marine environment by involving the public from all age groups. This position can be very varied, so applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to deal with varied tasks from public outreach to boat-based surveys and scientific data collection and handling. They will be encouraged to take initiatives with education & outreach activities in the region which, due to its natural beauty, receives large numbers of visitors during the summer.

The interns will be responsible for the following duties: 

• Raising Sea Watch Foundation’s profile locally (taking part in events, talking to the public) 
• Carrying out surveys of marine mammals and seabirds in the area of SW Anglesey and Caernarfon Bay, undertaking watches from land and participating in boat-based surveys 
• Engaging with local communities, encouraging and training citizen scientists to collect data on marine mammals and seabirds 
• Promoting and organising the National Whale and Dolphin Watch education and outreach activities
• Participating in presentations and creating activities to take to local schools/groups, as well as using our specialised talks at local events
• Assisting in the creation of educational/promotional materials (posters, displays, flyers, social media posts) 
• Participating in training courses in Anglesey and Gwynedd 
• Representing Sea Watch at public events around Anglesey and Gwynedd 
• Training and supervision will be provided by the Project Manager and Research and Intern Assistant for the duration of the intern's stay. 

The field season will run from April to October and for Research Interns it has been split into periods of 6 weeks. Typical office hours are from 10:00am to 17:00 pm, 5 days a week, with field work falling outside of this. Working days will be a mixture of weekdays and weekends.

The interns will be based at the Bodorgan Estate, Anglesey. Accommodation will be provided rent-free in a house shared with the other interns and the Research and Intern Assistant (RIA). Rooms are shared between two people, we will do our best to accommodate single sex rooms however this may not always be possible. The interns are responsible for their own travel and living costs including utility bills of £40 a week. Any travel costs incurred for project work will be reimbursed. 

International applications are welcome but it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure visa requirements are met and we ask applicants to highlight their chosen visa option in their application. Please note that Sea Watch Foundation is unable to sponsor visa applications for Research Interns.

Research Intern periods for summer 2025:

Period 1: April 7th - May 16th 

Period 2: May 19th - June 27th 

Period 3: June 30th - August 8th      

Period 4: August 11th - September 19th 

Period 5: September 22nd - October 31st 

Important skills/qualifications 

Essential: 

• a strong interest in marine conservation and education 
• outgoing personality, confidence
• excellent verbal and writing skills
• must have initiative, motivation, the ability to bring their own ideas and personality to the position and be able to think on your feet 
• strong commitment to volunteering work 
• work independently, in an organised and reliable manner and to manage a variable workload 
• the ability to get on well with others in a small team and within shared accommodation 
• should always represent SWF professionally 
• ability to work and live cooperatively with other volunteers in an isolated location 

 Desirable: 

• a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar 
• a strong interest and some knowledge of British marine mammals and birds 
• boat survey experience 
• good IT skills (Office package) 
• willingness to work long hours, sometimes outdoors in very changeable Welsh weather 
• one’s own transport (travel costs within the project will be covered) 
• Welsh language

The Sea Watch Foundation 

The Sea Watch Foundation is a national marine environmental research charity that aims to achieve better conservation of whales and dolphins in the seas around Britain and Ireland, by involving the public in scientific monitoring of populations and the threats they face. It is the longest-running research charity in the UK focusing upon cetaceans around the British Isles, and maintains a national sightings database, the largest in Europe. It works closely with all the UK statutory conservation agencies, and has provided advice to the UK government, the UNEP Regional inter-governmental Conservation Agreement - ASCOBANS, and the European Commission, as well as the major conservation charities and marine industries operating in the UK. 

For the past 21 years, Sea Watch Foundation (http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/) has been monitoring the dolphins, porpoises and whales that inhabit Cardigan Bay in West Wales, documenting abundance trends, identifying conservation threats, and advising on the best ways to protect the populations both within and outside the Special Areas of Conservation. Alongside its own scientific surveys and research, Sea Watch has for more than thirty years pioneered citizen science as well as run a range of education and outreach programmes.

Public Awareness 

We aim to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the marine wildlife and the habitats supporting them, to encourage respect and conservation of the marine environment for future generations. We also run training courses for the public in cetacean and seabird identification and survey methods.