Join Intern Abroad HQ, the world’s most affordable international internship organization, and invest in your future with a Marine Mammal Research & Conservation Internship in Greece.
 
The Aegean Sea is home to remaining populations of important marine life in the Mediterranean, including diverse dolphin, whale, and turtle species, and the endangered Monk seal. The conservation and protection of these species is of high importance, especially as research is lacking and a range of anthropogenic stressors endanger both resident and migratory populations. Marine Mammal Research & Conservation internships provide hands-on opportunity to support and learn from multifaceted marine conservation efforts.

This program offers durations of 8-24 weeks from April through October and 4-24 weeks from November through March. Start dates are available every first and third Monday throughout the year.

Your fully-hosted experience includes sourcing of your internship placement, personalization of your project plan, airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals, and onsite student support. See our full list of fees and inclusions on our website.
 
Suitable for students, graduates and researchers of marine, ecological and environmental sciences and/or veterinary medicine. Applicants must be able to contribute both independently and as part of a dynamic, multicultural, multidisciplinary team. Technical skills such as data entry, statistical analysis, knowledge of the marine environment, and experience with scientific surveying are preferred.

This internship is conducted in English.
 
The Marine Mammal Research & Conservation internship program in Greece is primarily based in the island of Samos, situated in the eastern Aegean Sea. The beautiful location provides excellent opportunities for ongoing conservation activities, including occasional access to other research sites on nearby islands. Samos has a steady tourist industry and, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has interesting historical sites and attractions.

Interns in this field may support the program in either a general role - collaborating on current research topics - or in a more specialized role, where you have time and scope to contribute one pre-defined project. Depending on your goals and academic level, proactive participants can collect data for independent research purposes, or simply take the learning opportunity to broadly increase important conservation skill sets. There can be a large intern-to-supervisor ratio on this program, so interns with specific research goals should come prepared with ideas.

The Marine Mammal Research & Conservation internships can involve day-trip or multi-day sea expeditions, since the conservation institute operates dedicated research vessels. Likewise, kayak, and snorkel activities are also conducted to analyze behaviors of species, marine litter, boat traffic, ocean temperature and acidity, seagrass health, and rock sedimentation, and much more.

These trips are supervised by a qualified and experienced team, who additionally assist to analyze and interpret information, used to inform local conservation and environmental management strategies. Importantly, all research is developed in close cooperation with the local communities, authorities, NGOs and national and institutional institutions.

Examples of key projects includes:

• Temporal and Spatial monitoring of cetaceans, sea turtles, and seals to determine changes in abundance and distribution over time. This is done by conducting boat-based surveys, which collect behavioral, photographic, acoustic, and environmental data. Analysis of cetacean behavior is also conducted to determine seasonal variation in activity, differences in behavior between species, and group composition.
• Monitoring individual cetaceans through the photo-ID techniques and conducting analysis to track changes in distribution and abundance for resident and migratory populations.
• Detection of cetacean vocalizations through specialized software. Analysis of recordings to assess the impact of anthropogenic noise on the behavior, communication and habitat selection.
• Assessing interactions with anthropogenic stressors, such as fisheries (effects caused by overfishing), maritime traffic, and pollution (plastic, chemical and noise).
• Monitoring environmental parameters at different depths, such as sea temperature, salinity, pH, and concentration of dissolved oxygen.
• Monitoring remaining Monk Seal populations to develop conservation actions in conjunction with local communities.

If you have multiple interests or projects that span different themes, it is possible to assist other teams with diverse areas of focus. This is something you can discuss directly with your supervisor or in advance, in planning stages for your internship. Preferences are subject to availability, as conservation and research priorities vary throughout the year.

Conservation operations and internships run year-round and a flexible mentality is required. Activities can vary as all field work is subject to weather conditions. Over the winter months, interns should expect less boat surveys (and tasks related to marine mammals) and more supporting tasks related to marine ecology, microplastic assessment in the laboratory, and (subject to availability) marine sanctuary project priorities. Interns often enjoy scope to become involved with a range of opportunities, whether related to environmental awareness campaigns, public relations, education initiatives within the community, and more.

Please come prepared to assist with office/admin based activities, in addition to hands-on fieldwork. A really important aspect of this experience is still related to the theoretical learning that’s needed to support fieldwork tasks. All tasks related to data collection and data analysis in the field require follow up work on a computer. Prior to participating on certain surveys, all interns are required to complete theoretical training/preparation tasks related to species identification, data sheets, bioacoustics data etc.

In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in, building new relationships, gaining introductory and foundational knowledge. Being able to balance the motivation to get stuck in as soon as possible must be balanced with teamwork, patience, the willingness to try new things, achieve learning milestones, and ask questions as you progress.

You might find yourself using equipment to collect and analyze data, using software and other methods, which are all new to you - however, this can greatly benefit your future career, as it adds so much more practical experience to your resume! A commitment to responsible communication and self-management is required. Supervisors will assign tasks and projects but interns are required to organize and put suitable timelines in place for achieving the best outcome.
 
Intern Abroad HQ's Greece programs are available year-round, with start dates every first and third Monday.

Intern Abroad HQ provides the most affordable and top-rated programs. Check out our intern reviews on our website.

We match you with innovative and entrepreneurial host organizations around the world that give you the opportunity to make a real contribution on high-impact projects with the support of travel experts with an outstanding safety system and track record.

Our experiential learning approach provides a structured and guided platform for you to think critically about your experiences on your internship. It accelerates and deepens your learning by asking self-reflective questions around the contexts, actions, and outcomes of your placement.

Academic credit is available for all experiences, through our School of Record partnerships with University of Montana (1-5 credits) and Warren Wilson College (6-16 credits). Check in with your academic advisor to understand if you can apply these transfer credits toward your degree at your home institution.

We offer flexible booking and free changes so you can register with confidence.
 
Apply for free: Complete an online application form via the Intern Abroad HQ website.

• Select your start date and duration: All Intern Abroad HQ programs are available year-round and you can choose to intern for durations on this program ranging from 4 to 24 weeks.
• Complete your registration: After you have been accepted on your chosen program, you can secure your place by paying the Deposit.
• Pay your Balance: This is due 60 days before your program starts.

Need to make changes to your booking? You can make free unlimited changes to your destination, project and dates up until 60 days before you start.