Volunteer Projects and Internships for Marine Conservation
You love the ocean and are interested in the topic of marine conservation? Perfect, because there is a great variety of different programs waiting for you with the focus on the marine environment, its ecosystem and especially its conservation. Each of the projects has a different focus, such as the cleaning of coastal areas or national marine parks. Other projects put their priority on ocean- and reef clean-ups or coral farming.
Due to the rise of tourism, the preservation of the marine life and coastal areas become more important and awareness needs to be raised regarding topics such as environmental issues, conservation, and the protection of the marine biodiversity and resources. You want to combine an adventurous trip and at the same time do something for the greater good? – Get active, and become a volunteer in the field of marine conservation now!
What are the biggest threats to marine conservation?
For centuries our oceans have simply been regarded as a supplier of food, a useful route for transportation, and as a place for dumping our trash. We now get to feel the consequences of the fact
that the oceans have always been taken for granted. The effect is visible not only in the decline of the oceans’ rich biodiversity but also in the destruction of coral reefs and marine habitats.
According to the
- Tourism and coastal development
- Shipping traffic
- Pollution
- Climate Change
Sadly,
How can I help in marine conservation?
There is a great variety of different international programs, all of them focusing on marine conservation and each is more than happy to welcome you and your helping hands. Here you can choose from a variety of different projects, each having another focus. There are some programs that focus mainly on work underwater, including scuba diving.
Others are engaged in the work that needs to be done on the land, such as cleaning the beaches and the coastlines or working together with the local communities. Educating the locals on the importance of marine conservation is more than important in order for future work in the field of conservation. To find the perfect volunteering option for you, you need to take your interests and knowledge into account. But no worries, in the following you will find an overview of the different possibilities that you have:
Volunteer on- and underwater
There are different programs that focus especially on underwater conservation and marine protection. In such programs, scuba diving plays an important role and could be the perfect volunteering option if you are looking for something adventurous. Here, you have the opportunity to be part of a project in almost every part of the world. Depending on where you want to spend your time you have the possibility to visit amazing places such as Portugal, the Philippines, the Bahamas, or Indonesia.
In these programs, volunteers have the opportunity to help with the conservation of the underwater ecosystem and the marine parks. Of course, you will receive a comprehensive diving training before you go underwater. Even if you have no experiences at all - don’t worry! Any person is more than welcome to participate, from beginners to more experienced divers. And in case you are wondering, you will always be supervised by experienced divers during your time under the water.
Of course, each of the programs has a different focus and different tasks that need to be done, but all of them focus mainly on water-based activities. Generally speaking, you can expect to be doing one or more of the following tasks:
- Observing and documenting fish populations
- Coral farming
- Transplanting corals
- Engaging in reef clean-ups
- Exploring and mapping underwater caves
Volunteering on the land
Of course, there is also work that needs to be done on the land in order to help the marine environment. That can be for example the conservation of plants that are not necessarily found under the water but by the sea and that are important for the local environmental sector. Other projects focus on education, beach clean-ups, or research and the collection of scientific data.
For future work, it is important to include the local communities in the area you are volunteering in and to raise awareness about marine conservation and protection. Not only is the work alongside locals important in terms of awareness, but also to demonstrate how to keep beaches clean, and to demonstrate solutions for the different areas.
Furthermore, there are programs that concentrate on the topic of sustainability. There are many different countries for you to volunteer at and to spend some time abroad, such as Tonga, Cambodia, or Kenya. In order for you to get an overview of the tasks, please take a look at the following list:
- Training on modern fishing methods and sustainability
- Development of educational resources and best practice guidelines
- Demonstrating local processing solutions
- Working alongside local communities
- Providing hands-on demonstrations on how to keep the shorelines clean
- Performing beach clean ups
- Data collection
Best places to volunteer for marine conservation
There are many places in the world where you can volunteer in the field of marine conservation. Depending on your interest in either working on land or under the water, you will have a great variety of programs to choose from. If you are looking for an adventurous volunteering option that is all about being underwater, scuba diving, and experiencing the marine life face-to-face, you can choose to spend your time at the most amazing places in the world, such as the Caribbean, Mozambique, or the Philippines.
You also have the possibility to go to most amazing places in Europe, such as Portugal, Italy or Spain. You love the ocean and are interested in marine conservation, but you prefer to stay on the land? What do you think about Australia, Indonesia, or Costa Rica? You see that you have the possibility to go almost everywhere you want to go. If you take a look at the map, you can see all the countries that offer programs in the field of marine conservation:
Top 5 benefits of volunteering for marine conservation
Most people will agree that helping other feels great! Let’s take a look at some of the benefits you may enjoy as a volunteer for marine conservation:
1. Personal Experience
Working in the field of marine conservation is the most amazing experience for yourself. Going on a new adventure and contributing to a project is something that you will benefit from. Not only will you grow as a person, but you will also see that you are able to make a change.
2. New People & Culture
It doesn’t matter where you stay and which program you are volunteering at because you will definitely get to know a new culture and a different way of living. During your time abroad you will be surrounded by other volunteers that share the same passion for marine conservation as you. You don’t know it yet, but your new best friend might be around the corner.
3. Career Booster
If you are thinking about studying marine conservation or working in a similar field, being a volunteer in marine conservation will be perfect for you. On the one hand, you are able to gain hands-on experiences and insights into the work that is done by experts and you will benefit from this at a later time during your career. On the other hand, having done a volunteer job is always more than positive for your future job applications as it shows that you are committed and motivated to do something for the greater good.
4. University Credits
Some of the programs can be a great benefit for your university career. Depending on your volunteer project, you might have the chance to charge your work as your university credits.
5. Language Skills
Depending on the country you are traveling to and the language that is spoken, you will definitely improve your language skills. As you will be engaged with volunteers from all over the world and with people from the local communities, your language skills will improve faster than you think.
Who can work as a volunteer?
In order to work as a volunteer in marine conservation, there a few important things to keep in mind. For most of the programs you need to be at least 18 years old, but there are also some that you can only attend if you are at least 21. In some programs, you are also able to attend if you provide the permission of your legal guardians. There is no age limit upwards, but it is important that you are physically fit.
Depending on the country you are staying at, a basic or intermediate level of English or Spanish is necessary in order to communicate with your colleagues, project coordinators and the locals. Please keep in mind that we need you to submit a criminal record. In order for you to get specific information for each project offered, please take a look at the program page.