The Montenegro Dolphin Project is a scientific project born from the partnership between the Marine Mammals Research Association (DMAD) and the Natural History Association of Montenegro. Our study is the first long term research study of marine mammals in Montenegrin coastal waters. We aim to address questions about marine mammal abundance, distribution and behavior, define critical habitats and investigate the impact of major threats. Our wider attention focuses on the promotion and implementation of awareness initiatives targeted at the local community, particularly youth.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Our scientific work is supported by the help of volunteers and students, coming from all over the world and motivated to leave a positive impact on marine wildlife protection and conservation. We offer several volunteering and internship positions: this is an extremely valuable opportunity for graduates, that wish to gain experience in the marine mammal research field, and undergraduates, that would like to obtain internship academic credits. It could be used to develop a scientific project for BSc and MSc thesis. However, we are also open to accept applications from anyone whose love for dolphins is strong and sincere.
Opportunities are available for SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017, 2 MONTHS COMMITMENT.
REQUIREMENTS
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True interest for marine conservation, self-motivation, maturity and ability to work responsibly;
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Ability to cohabit in a dynamic and multicultural environment;
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Respect for the organisation's rules and willingness to follow standards and procedures;
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Proven experience of working effectively as part of a team;
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Fluent English (both spoken and written) and good communication skills;
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High computer literacy and willingness to learn new software applications.
Background in marine biology and previous fieldwork experience are an advantage.
FIELD WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Performing land-based surveys at least three times a week, including sunrise and sunset hours;
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Performing boat-based surveys at least once a week: boat surveys can be long and often tiring, so you are expected to feel comfortable on board and prepared to handle motion sickness.
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Collecting dolphins sighting and behaviour data, as well as environmental and anthropogenic data;
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Operating theodolite and managing its software Pythagoras;
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Data entry and analysis;
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Cataloguing and matching individuals of target species for photo-ID studies via Discovery software;
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Raising stakeholder awareness.
TRAINING
The Montenegro Dolphin Project team will provide lectures and field work training. You will be given the chance to learn the most popular methodologies used in marine mammals research such as:
PROJECT PARTICIPATION FEE
The positions are unpaid and require a participation fee of 600 euros / month which covers:
Applicants are responsible for their transportation to/from Montenegro, meals, insurance (all participants should have health and/or travel insurance) and personal expenses.
HOW TO APPLY
Please email your CV and cover letter to admin@dmad.org.tr (Elisa Gaggioli) explaining why you would the perfect asset for our team and which goals you hope to achieve with us! Remember to mention the PERIOD OF INTEREST AND DURATION OF AVAILABILITY!
