Dive into a career path in ocean and coastal management. Check out these opportunities for professional development. 

Internships/REUs

  • UCSB Marine Science Institute offers student jobs, research experience, and mentoring in their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • FUERTE is a program designed to build your foundation to succeed at the university, and to develop the skills you need for a career in conservation and environmental sciences, areas that specifically involve fieldwork when doing the research. FUERTE is meant to welcome and support students who are traditionally under-represented in these fields, especially Latinx, Indigenous, Black, and first-generation undergraduates.
  • NOAA Community Engaged Internship for Undergraduate Students. The Community Engaged Internship is designed for undergraduate students from underrepresented and indigenous communities. The overarching goal of this internship program is to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions by providing training and mentorship to the next generation of scientists, decision makers and citizens. The program will do so by recruiting, retaining and engaging diverse students in place-based research, extension, education and/or communication that respects and integrates local ways of knowing.  
  • NOAA West Coast Region Ocean Policy COAST Student Internship. One internship (1) is offered with the WCRO to work side-by-side with the director, policy coordinator and sanctuary staff on a project focused on ocean policy. This could entail evaluating and compiling information for a potential new national marine sanctuary designation; developing a scope of work for a soundscape analysis; writing an outline for a World Heritage Site nomination for the California Current Conservation Complex (Complex); or assisting with enforcement incident database development. For each of these projects, the individual will work closely with sanctuary staff.​
  • Darling Marine Center Summer REU Fellowships. This program offers intensive research experience to undergraduate students majoring in biology, chemistry, geology and environmental science, who have an interest in marine studies. This program is sponsored by the University of Maine's Darling Marine Center and funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • Dauphin Island Sea Lab National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. Research experiences are provided for undergraduates in their junior or senior years with interests in marine science, biology, chemistry, geology and environmental sciences. This program is sponsored by Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab and funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship. The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellow works with members of the Great Lakes' science, policy and information/education communities to advance the environmental quality and sustainable economic development goals of the Great Lakes states. In so doing, the fellow contributes to and benefits from research coordination and policy analysis activities.
  • The Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s year-long policy internship provides students and recent graduates with an opportunity to learn about federal science policy in Washington, D.C.
  • Orange County Coastkeeper Internships
  • NOAA Undergrad Opportunities

 

Fellowships

  • John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The Fellowship, named after one of Sea Grant's founders and former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, matches highly qualified graduate students with "hosts" in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid fellowship.  
  • NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship. The NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship was established in 1996 to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and to provide project assistance to state coastal zone management programs. Up to nine fellows are placed with state coastal programs every year. The program matches postgraduate students to work on projects proposed by state coastal zone management programs and selected by NOAA. This two-year opportunity offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and travel and relocation expense reimbursement.
  • Commonwealth Coastal & Marine Policy Fellowship. Receive on-the-job training and hone your professional skills while improving the stewardship of the Commonwealth’s coastal and marine resources. This fellowship develops and supports exceptional post-graduates by partnering them with a state government or non-governmental organization host office mentor. The program also aims to increase the capacity of the host offices by supporting fellows who are working on mission-relevant programs, and leveraging the knowledge and capacity of Virginia’s academic institutions.
  • Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship. The Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship offers a unique educational opportunity for soon-to-graduate or recently finished graduate students engaged in studies pertaining to ocean and coastal policy issues. This one-year, paid marine policy fellowship matches highly motivated, qualified individuals with host agencies, nonprofits or tribes throughout Washington State. The Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship offers students first-hand experiences in crafting marine and natural resource policies and allows them to share their academic expertise with their host offices.
  • The Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Program, established in 1977, is designed to attract to the federal service outstanding recent graduates with a master’s degree or PhD who have an interest in, and commitment to, a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs. Interns receive a two-year assignment with a federal agency. All cabinet departments and more than 50 federal agencies have hired Presidential Management Fellows. 
  • Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship. Matches current and recently-finished graduates with host organizations to work on science and policy issues associated with Alaska’s marine resources in either in Washington D.C. or Alaska.

 

Higher Education

  • U.S. Marine Biology Degree Programs (by State)
  • NOAA’s Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for master’s and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.
  • NOAA EPP/MSI Scholarship provides funds for two years of undergraduate study to rising junior undergraduate students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) majoring in STEM fields that directly support NOAA's mission. Participants conduct research at a NOAA facility during two paid summer internships.

 

Job Lists