The Shellfish Aquaculture Innovation Laboratory (SAIL) supported by the Ratcliffe Foundation at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory is offering paid 10-week (40 hours/week) internships during the Summer and Fall (18 hours/week). 

SAIL is a new research hatchery with the dedicated mission of improving shellfish aquaculture production in Maryland. The intern will assist the SAIL hatchery team with research projects and facility goals while learning all aspects and stages of shellfish production. The internship will take place primarily at SAIL (Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, MD) but the intern will also have an opportunity to interact with staff and facilities at Ferry Cove Shellfish Commercial Hatchery (Sherwood, MD).  While this is not a traditional laboratory environment, applicants will gain experience in laboratory maintenance, standard operating procedures, experimental design, and data collection and analysis.  Projects at SAIL are diverse and will enable the intern to participate in both field and laboratory studies and all aspects of animal husbandry. 

Learn more about the Shellfish Aquaculture Innovation Lab

The successful candidate will be highly motivated, able to work independently, and have a strong interest in the aquaculture industry and/or aquaculture research. This is a paid internship that will pay $12.50/h 40  hours a week. Imani Black (a UMCES Research Faculty Assistant and current President of Minorities in Aquaculture) will coordinate the internship and instruct interns about the shellfish industry.  In an effort to increase diversity within the aquaculture industry and to ensure a broad applicant pool, applications from groups traditionally not well represented, including women, black, indigenous and people of color, are encouraged. The Summer internship is from June 1st to August 13th; Fall internship is from September 1st to November 10th (18 hrs/week)

Duties and Responsibilities 

  • Phytoplankton production 
  • Broodstock conditioning 
  • Shellfish spawning 
  • Larval rearing
  • Shellfish Assessments
  • Data collection
  • Equipment & system cleaning/maintenance 
  • SAIL research projects 

Qualifications and Skills 

  • Education: Current Undergraduates (Associate’s/Bachelor’s Degree)
  • Applicants should be interested and have a basic working knowledge in aquaculture, fisheries, biology or other fields related to environmental science.
  • Interns should be prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for both types of work.
  • Must be able to provide personal/reliable transportation to and from HPL as housing at HPL is limited and not guaranteed.

 

UMCES is an EOE.  Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

 

Physical Demands 

  • Applicants must be able to lift at least 50 pounds and be committed to working in a wet, muddy, and humid environment and able to work in a physically challenging fast paced environment.

 

How to Apply

  • Please send a resume and letter of interest to Imani Black at  iblack@umces.edu.
    • Applications for the Summer 2021 SAIL internship should be submitted no later than May 15th 
    • Fall internship applications should be received no later than August 15th. 

Letter of interest requirements: Applicants should display their interest in the internship and shellfish aquaculture/research. An applicant is not required to have experience in aquaculture but should demonstrate their potential interest in shellfish aquaculture and what they hope to gain from this experience. Indicate if you are applying for the Summer or Fall program.