Introducing the TDRF Interns, Fall 2012

Student interns are integral to our ability to carry out research. After training, these students’ help us collect data in the field each day and to help us enter data, organize and even analyze data. The work they do is not easy. For example, today we left the house at 6:00 and were on the water at 7:00. Getting home after 16:00. Interns have to work in the heat all day with no cover or relief in the direct sun (with temps sometimes over 100 F in the summer). And help with a lot of heavy labor when not on the water (like today where we spent about an hour scrubbing the boat down after our survey). After we are back at the house, interns then have to work entering and processing data. So hours per day can easily be 12 +.

While the work is hard, the experience can be invaluable. Student interns are usually recent graduates or are in the last two years of their degree program. These students usually choose to work with us to gain experience they can use towards either getting into a graduate program or obtaining a job after they have finished their undergraduate degree.

Many of our interns have continued to work with us after their official internship was complete. For example, the TDRF Treasurer (Danielle Jones) and Secretary (Jordan Blair) started as TDRF interns.

TDRF interns come from all over the globe. The farthest away so far was from Japan , but students have also come from the UK, Trinidad, Austria, France, Portugal, Holland, Canada and the United States.

Interns this year come from Holland (Ingrid) and the US (Georgia and Miami, Jacqueline and Bridgette).

Bridgette

Ingrid

Jacqueline