Web Content Development and Academic Research for the Blue Carbon Initiative

Conservation International’s (CI) Internship Sponsored By The Trott Family Foundation seeks students interested in gaining career skills in the non-profit sector.   As a leader in conservation, local capacity-building, and partnership work, Conservation International offers a unique learning platform and environment for interns to gain real-world, practical experience. We believe that developing emerging talent is an important way for CI to invest in the future and to sustain conservation goals for the benefit of humanity. Our internships are designed for committed individuals who want to serve the organization in a field and discipline needed to successfully advance our mission.   We provide opportunities for future professionals and leaders to become familiar with our mission, strategy, and values and expose students to the business and management of an NGO, field work and research, and partnerships.  For more information, please visit Conservation International at www.conservation.org

The natural coastal ecosystems of seagrasses, tidal salt marshes, and mangroves sequester and store large quantities of “blue” carbon in both the plants and in the sediment below them. These ecosystems are being degraded and destroyed at a rapid pace along the world’s coastlines, resulting in globally significant emissions of carbon dioxide into the ocean and atmosphere and contributing to climate change.

The International Blue Carbon Initiative is the first integrated program focused on mitigating climate change by conserving and restoring coastal marine ecosystems globally. The Initiative is led by Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Initiative works with partners from national governments, research institutions, NGOs, coastal communities, intergovernmental and international bodies and other relevant stakeholders.

There is a need to consolidate the growing information and key leaders and projects that exist on blue carbon and within the Initiative. The most effective way to accommodate this growth is to develop a website that provides a professional platform for fostering international understanding and exchange of blue carbon knowledge and projects supported by the Initiative.

The Summer Fellow will support this effort in a number of ways:

• Fellow will coordinate a comprehensive list of scientific leaders in the field of blue carbon;
• With this network in hand, Fellow will support the development of an online platform, such as a blog or other online App, for information sharing among existing leaders in the field of blue carbon science that will link closely with the Blue Carbon Initiative’s website, currently in development; and

Fellow will research academic papers and grey literature to develop a comprehensive overview of existing blue carbon field projects. Project will culminate in a presentation of findings.  

Fellow is expected to work a total of eight (8) weeks in the summer months of 2012.

• Assisted in drafting comprehensive content, including science, for Blue Carbon Initiative website with appropriate references;
• Completed a network list of blue carbon scientists and leaders around the world;
• Used this network and existing content on blue carbon to develop a social online networking platform;

Completed a thorough report on existing blue carbon field initiatives and presented findings to Blue Carbon Initiative Team.

Working Conditions:

• This position is based in CI Headquarters in Arlington, VA
• Normal office environment