EELGRASS INTERNS WANTED

To Work With Save The Bay’s Restoration Team

Position Description: Save The Bay seeks a highly motivated individual to assist with field research on eelgrass restoration throughout Narragansett Bay. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a flowering marine plant, which grows in shallow bay areas. During the past 70 years, Narragansett Bay’s Eelgrass populations have been in decline because of nutrient pollution, disease and hurricane damage. Eelgrass has many functions: it is a primary source of food for many plants and animals in Narragansett Bay, a critical nursery and shelter for shellfish and finfish, it acts as a filter of pollutants, plays a key role in nutrient cycling, and acts as a guard against shoreline erosion by dampening wave energy and storms. Save The Bay is working towards restoring this vital habitat.

Responsibilities:

Conduct fieldwork involved in restoring eelgrass habitat including: SCUBA, harvesting eelgrass from donor beds, transplanting eelgrass, measuring eelgrass shoot densities and assessing overall health of the transplant

Assist in tracking water quality at all restoration sites on the Bay

Assist with data entry

Assist in video and photographic documentation of research activities and transplant success

Qualifications:

A demonstrated commitment to ecological restoration

SCUBA certification preferred

Computer Experience (MS Office, database-spreadsheet)

Undergraduate course work in ecology, marine biology, botany, or equivalent

A positive attitude and ability to work in a team environment

Ability to have fun while working in the field!!

Commitment: 10-35 hours per week from mid May through August, 2005

This is an unpaid internship, but we will work with you to earn college credit through your University.

Interested? Contact Sue Tuxbury, Save the Bay: e-mail suetuxbury@savebay.org, or call (401) 272-3540 ext. 117

For more information about Save The Bay visit http://www.savebay.org