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Aquarist / Marine Science Educator Internship
WiseOceans Ltd
United States
Posted on May 6, 2026
Aquarist / Marine Science Educator Internship
About the organisation
Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and Aquarium is a nonprofit with a mission of educating the public about our oceans to create good stewards of our ocean ecosystems. We are a public aquarium open almost every day of the year with thousands of gallons of saltwater aquarium displays. Organisms on display include sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, octopus, a large touch tank room and more. GSML is also a marine life educational facility with thousands of guests visiting for guided tours each year. For over fifty years we have functioned as a biological supply to universities and aquariums supplying live organisms for research and education purposes only. We are also one of the oldest sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in operation.
We are looking to fill three positions for six-month internships with housing and utilities provided.
About the role
The Aquarist / Marine Science Educator Internship is like on-the-job training. You will perform duties in all four areas of our operations which include public aquarium, marine life educational tours, biological supply and sea turtle rescue and rehab.
- Public aquarium duties include cleaning aquarium displays, feeding organisms, treating organisms, keeping dry displays neat and clean, fixing plumbing issues and helping to construct new displays
- Helping in the gift shop and front office by ringing up guests purchases.
- Covering the office and answering phone calls for orders when the office manager is out or on break.
- Managing social media accounts for the aquarium.
- Creating content and posting regularly to the aquarium’s social media.
- Helping with periodic special events such as marine life educational summer camps and special themed events at the aquarium.
- At a public aquarium everything that the public can see is part of the display and needs to be neat, clean, orderly and professional looking. All the areas behind the scenes need to be neat, clean, orderly and professional looking to function. If you do not agree with the statement “if a task needs doing, it is in my job description” please do not apply for this internship.
- Our marine life educational programs involve conducting marine life educational tours. You will need to be comfortable with public speaking. We offer three tours at our facility which include a one-hour aquarium tour, a two-hour tour of the aquarium and dock and a three-hour tour of the aquarium, dock and marsh. We also operate a traveling exhibit. Going along and a few trips with the traveling exhibit will also be part of the internship.
- The biological supply duties will include trips out on our collecting boats to collect the biological specimens.
- Transporting the organisms back to the aquarium and acclimating them.
- Helping to pack orders to be shipped to universities and aquariums for educational purposes.
- The sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation duties include responding to calls for sick or injured sea turtles.
- Assisting in performing recommended treatments, gathering measurement data for forms, feeding and caring for sick or injured turtles.
A successful intern will be able to live and work well with people of various backgrounds in a small-work environment. The ability to separate personal issues from professional time (and the ability to resolve any personal issues quickly with little conflict) is crucial to this position. A good attitude and work ethic are very important.
A little information about the area: Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is located in Panacea Florida which is in an area known as the nature coast. It is largely undeveloped along the coast compared to other areas of Florida. It is a biodiversity hot spot meaning a wide variety of organisms can be found in the area both in the ocean and on the land. There is a lot to do and see involving nature. If you love nature especially the ocean it will be a nice location for you. Interns will live in housing on site right next to the marine lab and across the street from the bay.
Requirements
- Graduate of a degree program in marine biology, marine conservation, marine aquarist or a related field.
- A high level of interest (experience preferred) in marine life aquarium husbandry and / or teaching students of diverse ages and backgrounds about conservation of and information on marine organisms and ecosystems.
- Excellent public speaking skills for audiences of various ages and abilities.
- An optimistic, “can-do” attitude.
- Willingness to clean aquariums and displays and keep the facility looking beautiful.
- The ability to work independently and in a team setting while foreseeing and quickly correcting potential problems.
- The ability to work well with others in a small organization where your coworkers are also your roommates.
- Experience with Microsoft Office, Google Drive and various social media formats preferred but not required.
Salary and benefits
This is an unpaid position but housing and utilities are provided.
Housing is provided on site right next to the marine lab and across the street from the bay. A three-bedroom apartment which will be shared by the three inters. The apartment is fully furnished and includes everything needed to cook. The apartment has three bedrooms and a common area which includes the living room, kitchen and full bathroom. Utilities are included which are electric, water and internet. There is a laundry area on site where interns can use for free with their own supplies.
Start date
Starting September 2026 and ending about the end of February 2027.
How to apply
If interested, please email a cover letter and resume to Tom Harrah at gulfspecimentom@hotmail.com