Information for prospective interns

About Cascadia Research

Cascadia Research is a private non-profit research organization founded in 1979.  Cascadia receives grants and contracts, primarily from government agencies, to pursue research primarily on marine mammals. Cascadia also makes educational presentations to a variety of audiences; from technical talks to scientists at international conferences to presentations to elementary school children.  Based in downtown Olympia, Washington, Cascadia has conducted field research in the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and along the Pacific coast of Central America.

Although we study many marine mammal species, most of our current work is focused either on gray, blue, humpback and killer whales along the west coast of North America, or a variety of species of odontocetes (e.g., false killer whales, beaked whales) in Hawaii. Much of this work involves using photographic identification.  These species have natural markings unique to each individual, and by photographing and cataloging these markings, we can identify animals and study their behavior, movements, and population structures over extended periods of time.

While photo-ID is a large part of what we do, we utilize a variety of other research techniques, including tissue sampling for genetics and other physiological analyses; cetacean suction-cup tagging with a variety of instruments that can record shorter term movements, dive behavior, sound, or video images; examining dead stranded marine mammals and assisting in live stranding response and disentanglements; satellite tagging a variety of species to track movements over extended periods;  and studies of foraging behavior and prey sampling of killer whales.

Volunteer and Intern Responsibilities

The primary activities of interns will be to assist staff in our long-term photo-ID studies of humpback, blue, and gray whales off the US West Coast and the inside waters of Washington state. In this capacity, interns will be expected to spend a large portion of their time comparing photographs to our existing catalogs, and may additionally be involved in digital image processing, data entry, and tasks related to historical catalog maintenance. The position is largely office-based, although there may be some opportunities to assist staff in field data collection, in small boats or as a part of large ship surveys. In addition to this, interns will assist staff in stranding response. This includes participation in beach surveys, data and specimen collection, data entry, and assisting in necropsies of both pinnipeds and cetaceans. Responses may involve hiking into remote areas and carrying heavy loads, and participants should be comfortable with the sight of blood, and strong, unpleasant odors. We also have opportunities for interns to work on catalogs that involve a variety of odontocetes species (rough tooth dolphins, etc.) from our Hawaiian research as well.

 Required and Desired Qualifications for Volunteers and Interns

The following is required for consideration for a volunteer or internship position:

•   The ability to commit to an unpaid position for a minimum of 20 hours per week for a three-month time period (although we do favor candidates who can commit to 35-40 hours per week)

•   A minimum of junior standing at a college or university and some background course work in general biology

•  The ability to work well with others or independently, and with various distractions going on around them

• The following is desired (but not required) of prospective volunteers or interns:

•  An interest in the study of marine mammals

•  Some experience with independent research

• Basic computer literacy and experience using Microsoft Office products (MS Access, Excel, and Word)

How to Apply for an Internship or Volunteer Position

For formal consideration, we simply request your resume or CV and a letter stating your interest, what you would like gain out of the internship, relevant background experience, the time period you are interested in, the number of hours you can work, and if you would be volunteering for personal experience or would be seeking internship credit from your college or university.

To apply, please submit the materials mentioned above to Kiirsten Flynn (kflynn@cascadiaresearch.org) during the appropriate time period for the quarter in which you are interested, according to the table below.

Special Instructions for International Applicants:

We recognize that international applicants may need additional time to make travel, lodging and Visa arrangements. You may apply up to 3 months earlier than the opening of the application period for the quarter in which you are interested. In your letter of interest, please indicate if your academic institution requires that you complete a thesis project as part of your internship and include any potential project ideas you may have.