Animal Care & Training Internship

Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder welcomes students and recent graduates worldwide to apply for an internship within our Animal Care & Training department. The Animal Care & Training Internship is designed to give participants practical hands on experience with marine mammal care, including participation in all aspects of the daily care & training of our Atlantic bottlenose dolphin population. Interns can expect to work alongside our animal care staff as they progress through a detailed training practicum, providing foundational skills needed to obtain an entry-level position within the field of animal care. The internship has a strong emphasis on hands-on training, giving the intern the opportunity to feed dolphins and implement training principles learned throughout the program. During their internship, interns can expect to participate in an array of duties, including but not limited to:

  • Assist the Animal Care & Training team with daily operations such as:
    • Participating in husbandry care including voluntary slide-outs and hydrations
    • Preparing animal diets
    • Maintaining facility protocols and sanitary conditions of support areas
    • Conducting daily observations of resident population and collecting husbandry data
    • Planning and executing enrichment sessions
  • Actively participate in the shaping and maintenance of behaviors by assisting trainers with a variety of training sessions
  • Act on the frontline of guest relations by delivering educational briefings and fielding questions
  • Observe guest interaction sessions and assist staff with facilitating swims
  • Participate in a comprehensive lecture series and complete associated quizzes
  • Complete training practicums alongside internship coordinators, including writing and executing a behavior pyramid

Internship Requirements

  • Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the internship
  • Must have completed at least 1 semester of college
  • Must be willing to accept the position as unpaid
  • Must be available for 40 hours per week for a minimum of 12 weeks
  • Must submit all application materials before the application deadline (Email or Hardcopy Applications Accepted)

Application Details

Interested applicants should mail the following materials to the mailing address provided OR email the complete application to [email protected] 

  • Completed and signed DPMMR Internship Application
  • Cover Letter
  • Resume
  • 1 Letter of Recommendation (Must not be from family or friends)

Mailing Address

Animal Care and Training Intern Coordinator
Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder
31 Corrine Place
Key Largo, Florida 33037

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed approximately three months before the start of the internship. We encourage all applicants to apply as soon as possible to the season they wish to participate in. 

Session

Tentative Internship Dates

Application Deadlines

Spring

Mid-February thru Mid-May

October to Mid-December

Summer

Mid-May thru Mid-August

January to Mid-March

Fall

Mid-August thru November

April to Mid-June

Winter

December thru February

July to Mid-September

Other Information

Animal CareThe Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder Animal Care & Training internship is designed to be a valuable precursor to a career working with animals. As the internship thoughtfully combines experiential learning with lectures and quizzes, it may also be possible for interns to obtain academic credit. Because each college and university have specific curriculum, interns are required to arrange the conditions of obtaining credit with their degree program prior to commencing their internship. Once accepted, the intern will work with their academic advisor to provide a detailed outline of the agreement highlighting these requirements to the intern coordinators.

DPMMR is located in Key Largo, Florida and accepted interns are expected to provide their own housing. The intern coordinators are happy to assist interns with finding affordable housing arrangements upon request. Interns should expect to maintain financial stability throughout the internship, including rent, transportation, meals, and other expenses.

For all other inquires, please check out the Animal Care & Training FAQs or contact the intern coordinators via email at [email protected]

  Requirements & Details     Download Application   Download FAQs

Research Internship

Thank you for your interest in the Research Internship Program. Unfortunately, we are not accepting Research Internship Applications at this time, and hope to begin accepting applicants in 2022. 

If you are interested in being notified when the application period opens, please email [email protected] and ask to be added to the "Research Internship Inquiry" list.

ResearchDolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder offers a unique opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, interested in actively participating in cutting edge research in the marine mammalogy field. Areas of discipline include, but are not limited to, husbandry, marine mammal social and physiological development, social dynamics, acoustics, applied behavior analysis, clinical studies, education, and conservation. The DPMMR Research Internship provides participants with the experience needed to pursue careers in behavioral and managed care science through exposure to ongoing research and the acquisition of a more thorough understanding of the scientific process.

Internship Duties/Goals

  • Participate in a comprehensive lecture series and complete relevant exams to evaluate progress
  • Gain a preliminary understanding of dolphin behavior
  • Learn how to systematically and objectively examine animal behavior
  • Acquire a strong theoretical and practical foundation in marine mammal research and assessment methodologies
  • Develop public speaking skills through peer and guest education
  • Assist with data collection, data entry, the collection of video and acoustic recordings, data analysis, and animal observations and monitoring
  • Conduct approved, observational (i.e., noninvasive), independent research projects that contribute to a greater understanding of animal behavior, communication, learning, development, conservation, and management
  • Develop a strong working knowledge of supportive and research software (e.g., SPSS, Raven, End Note)
  • Produce thorough literature reviews of relevant topics, while maintaining and expanding upon the DPMMR library
  • Participate in daily facility operations

Priority will be given to candidates with a strong quantitative background and the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work. The goal of the Research Internship program is to publish the results of ongoing and independent projects in peer-reviewed journals and to participate in national and international conferences.

Internship Requirements

  • Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the internship
  • Must have completed at least 1 semester of college
  • Must be willing to accept the position as unpaid
  • Must be available for 40 hours per week for a minimum of 12 weeks
  • Must submit a hard copy of all application materials before the application deadline

Application Details

Interested applicants should mail the following materials to Bethany Wallace, Intern Coordinator:

  • Completed and signed DPMMR Internship Application
  • Cover Letter
  • Resume
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation (Must not be from family or friends)
  • Recent Photograph

Mailing Address

Research Intern Coordinator
Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder
31 Corrine Place
Key Largo, Florida 33037

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed approximately three months before the start of the internship. To be considered, applicants should submit all materials before the application deadline of the internship session desired.

Session

Tentative Internship Dates

Application Deadlines

Spring

Mid-February thru Mid-May

November 15th

Summer

Mid-May thru Mid-August

February 15th

Fall

Mid-August thru November

May 30th

Winter

December thru February

September 30th

Other Information

The Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder Research internship is designed to be a valuable start to a career in the field of Marine Mammalogy. As the internship thoughtfully combines experiential learning with lectures and quizzes, it may also be possible for interns to obtain academic credit. Because each college and university have specific curriculum, interns are required to arrange the conditions of obtaining credit with their degree program prior to commencing their internship. Once accepted, the intern will work with their academic advisor to provide a detailed outline of the agreement highlighting these requirements to the intern coordinators. Our research staff will communicate with your professors as needed and will act as on-site advisors for the duration of your internship.

The majority of our research interns will be involved in ongoing research projects at DPMMR. Opportunities to conduct independent research projects are limited and will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must acquire approval prior to acceptance through the research department. Graduate students interested in applying for the Research Internship, and conducting an independent project as part of their degree program, must be enrolled in a self-funded M.A., M.S., or M.P.S. program. Ph.D. and M.S. candidates currently receiving funding from their universities (e.g. teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, and/or grant funding) may not eligible for this program. Those students should follow the guidelines for application to the Marine Mammal Research Program at DPMMR.

DPMMR is located in Key Largo, Florida and accepted interns are expected to provide their own housing. The intern coordinators are happy to assist interns with finding affordable housing arrangements upon request. Interns should expect to maintain financial stability throughout the internship, including rent, transportation, meals, and other expenses.

For all other inquires, please check out the Research Internship FAQs or contact the intern coordinators via email at [email protected]

  Requirements & Details     Download Application   Download FAQs

Non-Profit Administration Internship

Woman answering a phone at a desk

Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder in Key Largo, FL is proud to offer students from around the globe hands on experience in the field of non-profit administration through participation in our NPA internship. NPA Interns are immersed into the daily operations of DPMMR’s development office and work alongside a mentor to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios. Furthermore, interns are expected to participate in a classroom series (lectures, case studies, & readings) designed to advance their knowledge of the field.

This internship is broken into two tracts; Fundraising & Development and Marketing & Public Relations. Each tract has a specialized curriculum that can be tailored to an intern’s individual career goals.

Common Duties & Goals Include:

Marketing & Public Relations

  • Generate, Employ, and Analyze social media content and campaigns
  • Assist with a variety of traditional marketing practices
  • Create flyers, brochures, and promotional items
  • Represent DPMMR at community outreach events
  • Draft, Edit, and Distribute press releases
  • Help plan and execute PR events
  • Develop public speaking skills

Fundraising & Development

  • Assist with all aspects of fundraising event planning and execution
  • Assist with prospect research, donor cultivation events, and recordkeeping
  • Generate written and visual communications for prospect, new, and existing donors
  • Maintain and grow CRM database
  • Assist with all aspects of grant writing and reporting

Throughout their internship, participants will develop their resume and create an individual portfolio of their work. Additionally, most interns will elect to complete one or more special projects offered to them during the course of their internship.

Internship Requirements

  • Must be 18 years or older by the start of the internship
  • Must have completed at-least one semester of college by the start of the internship
  • Must be willing to accept the position as unpaid

Application Details

Interested applicants should mail or e-mail the following to Hunter Kinney, Assistant-Director of Development:

  • Completed, signed NPA application form
  • Resume
  • Cover Letter

Application Deadlines

For more information, please read the internship FAQ’s. If you have further questions, please email [email protected], NPA Internship Coordinator. 

  Requirements & Details     Download Application   Download FAQs

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