BAMZ Student Internship Awards
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo [BAMZ] offers intern programmes for undergraduate and graduate students that provide practical experience for young adults interested in working in a zoological facility.
Interns participate in hands-on activities and gain valuable experience encompassing the fields of animal care, research and conservation.
This year’s interns include Kamille Minors who completed a study of Island Geckos and Kyla Smith who examined marine parasites. These two Bermudian students were selected from among 27 applicants to receive Ernest E. Stempel Foundation Summer Internship Awards.
The 10th Annual John L. & Karen C. Pye Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Kelly Meaney, University of Western Ontario. She spent her summer examining the wetlands ecology of our diamondback terrapins, toads and killifish with Dr. Jamie Bacon and Mark Outerbridge.
Atlantic Conservation Partnership, the US charity supporting BAMZ, awarded grants to Taylor Gorham, McGill University, and Emily Coughlin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Taylor worked alongside Dr. Thad Murdoch on the BREAM (Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment and Mapping) programme, while Emily has been working in the Aquarium with a particular focus on wildlife rehabilitation.
Jessie Hallett, University of York, UK, had her study of turkey-wing mussels funded by the Department of Environmental Protection and BZS. She also assists with data collection for BREAM.
Corey Eddy, a doctoral student from University of Massachusetts, is studying the life history, reproduction, migratory behaviour and habitat use of the Galapagos shark, a common predator in Bermuda waters. He is assisted by local commercial fishermen who provide sharks. He will also be using satellite tags to determine whether these sharks are truly local to our islands or whether they regularly make migrations away from Bermuda.
Patrick Morris and Micah Hoder from Montevallo University (Alabama) performed a two week internship assisting Mark Outerbridge and Dr. Robbie Smith with a survey of animals living in the mucky bottom of Mangrove Lake. Two species of small snails were found that are important components of the diet of the diamondback terrapin.
Students interested in pursuing careers in the life sciences [biology, zoology, veterinary medicine, wildlife management, etc.] have the opportunity to learn all aspects of the daily care of exotic animals through practical involvement, and leave with a better understanding of the important role of aquariums, museums and zoos in promoting conservation and education.
Conservation research interns work in the field alongside Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) scientists. Their work is vital in collecting data to support local research, for example environmental risks to Bermuda’s toads, the migrations of our sea turtles, the study of the Island’s coral reefs and the future of fragile endemic species such as the killifish.
The Internship Programme is made possible through the generosity of patrons, grants and foundation gifts. Interested students are invited to fill out an application form and to write a convincing appeal as to why they should be selected to participate in the eight-week programme. All interns are required to present their individual assigned projects to an audience of their peers, mentors and benefactors.
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Category: All, Environment
