Research and Education Officer

An opportunity exists for a volunteer position with the Environmental Research Institute’s Calabash Caye Field Station (CCFS) at the University of Belize. This volunteer position is for a Research and Education Officer to be based at the CCFS for 6-12 months. The Calabash Caye Field Station is located in the Turneffe Atoll. The Turneffe Atoll is the largest of the three atolls which form a part of the Belize Barrier Reef, the second longest barrier reef in the world. Turneffe is famous for its clear, warm waters and abundant wildlife sheltered by extensive mangroves habitats, including dolphins, crocodiles and manatees. The volunteer would join the marine science team of the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) and be based at the CCFS where they would gain real world experience doing monitoring, research and teaching to tackle environmental changes facing the world’s second longest barrier reef!

Interested persons must be an Open Water Diver with at least a year’s diving experience and/or 50 logged dives and must have up to date dive insurance coverage. They must also have a strong science background with at least a first degree in marine sciences or marine biology and with knowledge of tropical ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves. A graduate degree with field experience is preferred. The volunteer will get to dive and work on the atoll’s remarkable reefs, flats and mangrove systems and encounter dolphins, sea turtles, saltwater crocodiles and a wide array of marine life. The position will also involve giving lectures to local and international student groups who visit the field station. Most importantly, the successful volunteer will gain the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the management and conservation of ecosystems in one of the last, few remaining natural wonders of the world!  

The successful volunteer will be trained in the various protocols and techniques necessary to implement monitoring and research to track the health of the marine habitats (coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, spawning aggregations, etc) of the Turneffe Atoll.

Food and accommodation at the field station will be provided to the successful candidate for the entire period of their assignment. In addition, specific training opportunities will also be available.

Interested persons should send a brief application essay indicating their interest in the position, explaining why they have chosen the CCFS and their expectations to: leandra.ricketts@gmail.com. Also include a recent copy of their CV and the names and contact details of at least 2 references.