INTERNSHIPS
Reef Ecologic’s internship program is about introducing proactive individuals to the world of small business, marine science and management. Every year Reef Ecologic takes on two interns who have complementary skills and a desire to learn and grow. “Few opportunities like these exist in Australia for people to gain real-world experience in environmental management,” Reef Ecologic Director and Associate Professor Adam Smith said.
Dr. Smith believes the program is a terrific way for students to see how the real world involves a multifaceted, multi-discipline approach to almost every project.
Very keen desire to gain work experience in a small business marine conservation focused consultancy.
Enthusiastic, positive, can-do attitude, good collaborator and keen learner.
Excellent communication abilities and demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment.
Demonstrated excellence in current academic endeavours
Scuba diving certifications (Advanced Open Water or higher)
Internships for 2026
Reef Ecologic receives over 100 requests for internships per year. We suggest that people seeking experience with Reef Ecologic may consider participating in our annual activities such as Reef Blitz and World Ocean Day activities in June or our annual Reef Master Class, one of the Expeditions where we are guest lecturers.
To be eligible for this internship opportunity please email adam.smith@reefecologic.org with a copy of your current CV, addressing the selection criteria above.
2026
Karah James
Karah is a Marine Biology student from the United States and is currently undertaking her Master of Marine Biology at James Cook University in Townsville. She has experience in conducting field-based techniques such as coral monitoring surveys and species identification for benthic organisms and fish populations and is a certified Advanced SCUBA diver. Her passions lay with coral reefs, and she believes that by increasing her understanding of their ecology and resilience she can help improve the health of this fundamental ecosystem. She thinks that the best way to increase conservation and restoration efforts is through education and increasing the awareness of surrounding communities, even through direct involvement like citizen science.
Through this internship with Reef Ecologic, Karah hopes to gain practical knowledge and hands-on skills while also improving her understanding of sustainability practices and marine ecosystem management.
Maya Petersen
Maya is a Marine Biology student from Germany currently undertaking her Bachelor of Science at James Cook University in Townsville. She is a certified Advanced SCUBA diver and freediver with a strong passion for marine conservation, particularly in raising awareness about the importance of oceans and coral reef ecosystems.Maya has a keen interest in coral restoration techniques, as well as reef monitoring and survey methods and is especially enthusiastic about hands-on fieldwork. She is eager to further develop her skills in scientific diving and practical marine research, building on her experience working in marine and vessel-based environments.Her strengths include adaptability, teamwork, and a positive, proactive approach to new challenges. During her internship with Reef Ecologic, Maya aims to further develop her boating, fieldwork, and diving skills while gaining valuable experience in applied marine conservation.
Emma Conkle
Emma is a graduate student and Comer Scholar at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Chicago, Illinois. She specialises in health, environment and science journalism. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St Andrews and the William & Mary Joint Degree Programme. She is passionate about telling conservation and environmental science stories. Through writing and photography, she hopes to educate the public about conservation, inspire people to be more involved with the natural world and showcase the beauty and diversity of the environment.
Emma will be interning with Reef Ecologic for an embedded reporting project for her master’s program. She hopes to use and hone her skills in communications, science journalism and media to explore topics like citizen science, environmental policy and reef conservation. One of her goals is to work with the Reef Ecologic team to write compelling stories that communicate the importance of preserving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Niveditha Jayachandran
Niveditha was born in India and studied Batchelor of Environmental Science and Zoology at Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, India. She is currently undertaking a Master of Marine Biology at James Cook University. She has skills in field-based ecological surveys, coral health assessments, and marine biodiversity monitoring. With passion about the power of education and citizen science in driving conservation outcomes, she believes that environmental change happens when communities are informed, involved, and inspired to take action. During her internship with Reef Ecologic, she is eager to further develop my field, boating, and diving skills while contributing to coral health monitoring, restoration initiatives, and community engagement programs.
2025
Sarah Hodgson
Sarah is a marine science student from Melbourne currently undertaking an internship with Reef Ecologic as part of the Master of Marine Biology program at James Cook University. She has experience conducting coral reef field research involving coral biodiversity and health assessments as well as reef fish surveys, and is a certified Rescue SCUBA Diver. She has also been involved in animal husbandry and science outreach through volunteering with the JCU Turtle Health Research Facility, the Sea Turtle Foundation and the Dolphin Research Institute. Sarah’s strengths include field survey techniques, communication, teamwork and adaptability. She is passionate about marine conservation and making science more accessible to the general public, and hopes to contribute to Reef Ecologic’s goals of making a meaningful and enduring difference to the future of coral reefs.
Teo Wille
Teo Wille is a second-year Environmental Science student at the University of Canberra. Originally from France, Teo holds a Brevet National Diploma and is passionate about sustainability and conservation. He currently works as a manager for Three Mills Bakery, where he leads Saturday operations and helps connect the community with high-quality, locally made products. Teo also brings hands-on experience from his volunteer work at the National Zoo and Aquarium, where he supported animal care, enclosure maintenance, and environmental education efforts. Teo holds his PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water diving certification and spends much of his free time exploring the ocean, often diving or surfing along the coast, where he finds inspiration in Australia's diverse landscapes and ecosystems
Paul Gauduchon
2024
Mitchell Chin
Through his internship with Reef Ecologic, Mitchell hopes to expand his understanding of citizen science and the marine sciences as a whole and apply the skills he develops to his community
Jacinta Jefferies
Jacinta Jefferies is a current Master of Marine Biology student, studying at James Cook University. She developed a love for sustainability and the marine environment from a young age, by going surfing, volunteering as a lifeguard at the surf lifesaving club and enjoying general time spent by the ocean and in nature. Jacinta enjoys Scuba diving and freediving and has a passion for conservation and management of the marine environment. Jacinta has volunteered at the JCU Turtle Health Research Centre and the Ningaloo Turtle Program in Exmouth, WA and developed skills in recirculating tank system, handling and providing the correct care for turtles, gathering data on nesting sea turtles, species and nest identification, general communication, and radio operating, as well as skills participating in public outreach and community engagement with local schools and members of the public.
Jacinta looks forward to developing her scientific diving and community outreach skills through her internship with Reef Ecologic and hopes to further develop her knowledge on reef restoration techniques, natural resource management and conservation to help protect our amazing marine life.
2023
Kaysha Kenney
Kaysha Kenney is a master’s student studying marine biology at James Cook University. Originally from California, Kaysha has Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a concentration in intertidal ecology from California State University, Fullerton.
She has a professional background in outreach, communications, and education in marine science and conservation. She also specializes in social media and marketing for ocean conservation organizations.
Kaysha is also a PADI divemaster and volunteers with her local dive club, spending most of her time diving and exploring the Great Barrier Reef. In her spare time, Kaysha loves doing beach cleanups and advocating for a plastic-free ocean.
Agathe Moreau
Agathe Moreau is a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology student at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She's worked in marine conservation and learned about public outreach during her last internship working in a turtle rehabilitation centre on the Aeolia Island of Filicudi, Siciliy. She recently started her internship with Reef Ecologic in early July 2023 and will be starting her Honours project in September looking at cryptic invertebrate diversity in Scottish seagrass habitats. Agathe has a passion for scuba diving and learning more about marine conservation and restoration techniques. She believes that citizen science is the most powerful tool to involve communities in protecting nature and unique ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef and intends to use it to help conservation efforts towards the GBR. With her internship with Reef Ecologic, she is looking into applying all the knowledge she built over the years to the field and real-life scenarios and I wish to teach these to the community I would work with to empower the people living or with the marine resources.
Ilana Wolchinsky
Ilana is a Comer Scholar graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Chicago, Illinois. She specializes in health, environment and science journalism. Her passion for videography, editing and writing stems from her love of creating content that educates and evokes emotion while taking creative risks with her camera. After visiting Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Ilana wanted to come back and be able to create tangible work to showcase the environmental impact and research at the Reef.
Having received a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University where she studied both Communication of Science and Technology, and Cinema and Media Arts, Ilana understands the science behind marine biology topics as well as has a creative eye for developing effective digital content.
Ilana will be interning with Reef Ecologic for her embedded reporting project during the last quarter of her MSc program at Northwestern. Her goal is to work with the Reef Ecologic team to create videos that can have as wide of an impact as possible to communicate the values and research behind protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Tobbias Missebukpo
Tobbias is a current Master of Science student majoring in Engineering in Ecology and Biodiversity Management that previously completed an undergraduate degree in Biology and Ecology at the Faculty of Science of Montpellier, France. This internship will be his last step before completing his degree and entering the job market. As a child, Tobbias grew a true passion for marine life, watching documentaries where he saw all the wonders that the ocean shelters. Since then, his goal has always been to dive with fish and study the ocean. This idea matured throughout his studies and internships, and he became interested in marine conservation and reef restoration.
Having started with Thau’s pond Syngnathidae population monitoring, he found his calling during his last internship during which he took part in reef restoration projects and compared the growth rates of corals in Bali, Indonesia, adding to his diving experience.
Tobbias is now looking forward to improving his knowledge about environmental management and monitoring while developing his dive skills. And what better place to do so than an ecosystem as vital as Great Barrier Reef? He is convinced that, working in such a rich environment, he will gain valuable experience that will help him ensure that future generations benefit from healthy coral reefs and marine populations
2022
Daniela Toro
Daniela is a Biology graduate from Colombia. She completed an internship in marine ecology and participated in a project about the coral and benthic cover of two reefs in the San Bernardo islands, Colombia. She worked with Jorge Tadeo Lozano of the University in Santa Marta Colombia on a Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) conservation project and reforestation of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle).
Growing up in a mega-diverse country developed her profound respect for nature. She looks forward to being part of the change societies need to undertake the transformation to sustainability in marine ecosystem management. She became a PADI dive master in Australia and has participated in diving sessions against debris.
In her internship with Reef Ecologic, she hopes to contribute and learn about projects that translate scientific knowledge to the general public and then into action as she believes communities have tremendous transformative power.
Georgia Hodgson
Georgia is a current Master of Science student, majoring in Environmental Management and is studying at James Cook University. This internship will be her last unit before completing her degree. Growing up on the Central Coast of New South Wales she participated in many ocean-oriented activities such as nippers, ocean swims and beach walks and clean- ups, where her passion for conservation and management of the marine environment developed. Georgia also completed an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology at the University of Technology, Sydney and moved to Townsville after finishing to begin postgraduate studies.
Georgia volunteered with organisations such as project aware and complete multiple dives against debris, as well as the local Marine Discovery Centre in Terrigal in which school groups were educated on the local marine environment. These experiences provided key dive experience as well as education and programming experience too. Georgia was also able to complete a volunteer internship with the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative, in which threatened turtle species (Green and Hawksbill specifically) were studied.
Throughout all of these experiences, Georgia became passionate about helping to properly manage and conserve the local marine environment, especially one as vital as the Great Barrier Reef. She hopes to continue to work in conservation and possibly provide assistance to not only Australian stakeholders but possibly take her skillset overseas to developing nations and assist in creating and maintaining proper management techniques for their marine environments.
Matthew Wilkie
Matt is currently completing a Master of Science in Fisheries Science and Management at James Cook University. Completing this internship with Reef Ecologic will be his final unit before graduating. Matt has lived in North Queensland his whole life and has spent most his weekends growing up exploring, snorkelling and fishing the Great Barrier Reef. Having graduated a Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture and Marine biology, he worked as a hatchery technician at a prawn farm for 18 months before returning to JCU to explore to world of fisheries science.
Matt also spent time volunteering at Reef HQ aquarium for 2 years during his undergraduate degree. During this time he thoroughly enjoyed interacting with and educating the public. Volunteering here helped build his communication skills and knowledge of coral reef systems.
Through his current degree, personal hobbies and experiences, Matt is passionate about bringing the worlds of conservation and fisheries science together to help conserve wildlife while also meeting the needs of fisheries stakeholders. His main goal is to make a difference by ensuring that coral reefs and marine populations remain healthy and sustainable, so he can one day take his kids fishing knowing there are healthy stocks out there for generations to come.
2021
Megan Rose Randall
Meg is a Marine Science student from Gold Coast currently completing her last year of her Marine Science and Management degree through Southern Cross University. Completing an internship with Reef Ecologic is one of her last units before completing her degree. As someone who grew up as a volunteer Surf Life Saver on QLD’s Gold Coast beaches from the age of five to adulthood spending most of her weekends throughout the summer season at the beach and being surrounded by and immersed in a diverse range of marine environments including the Moreton Bay Region, the Great Barrier Reef, and Gold Coast and Northern NSW’s surf beaches she developed an infinite passion for exploring, learning about, protecting, and conserving those vital marine environments.
Being someone who greatly benefited mentally and physically from our beautiful Queensland marine environments, she felt it was only natural to dedicate the rest of her life to conserving and protecting them through intense study and volunteer work with such organizations as the ‘Australian Marine Conservation Society’, ‘Humpbacks and Highrise’s’, ‘ORCCA’, attending beach clean ups, and most recently being selected to be part of Peter Harrisons & CSIRO’s Moving Corals RRAP team on Heron and Magnetic Island completing coral reef restoration. Throughout her degree she has also been educating our young leaders of tomorrow at schools throughout QLD and NSW’s leading Marine Education workshops under gold Coast Based company ‘Ocean Stars Marine Education’.
Meg looks forward to learning about further reef restoration techniques, methods and how to apply them and lead others to implement them into their everyday reef conservation and management plan.
Rachelle Brown
Rachelle is concluding her Master of Science in Tropical Biology and Conservation degree at James Cook University through work placement with Reef Ecologic. She has developed a strong knowledge base and skill set through her education and work throughout her home country of the United States, as well as in remote locations internationally such as Panama, Indonesia, Costa Rica and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. Her strengths lie in effective communication to diverse audiences, field research and monitoring techniques, geographic information systems (GIS) and creating project-based reports such as restoration plans and impact assessments.
Rachelle looks forward to developing her dive and consulting skills through this partnership with Reef Ecologic, applying what she's learned in conservation, restoration, and natural resource management to help protect the natural beauty of Queensland.
Kailash Cook
Kailash is coral reef conservationist with a keen interest in sustainability and an extensive love for the marine environment. Kailash grew up on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, called Koh Tao. It was there his passion for the ocean developed. By the time he was 12, he participated in the creation of artificial reefs, coral nurseries and a variety of other reef restoration activities. He also became the youngest ever Reef Check surveyor and held the title of youngest Reef Check Ambassador before his sister claimed it in 2020. Kailash’s key skills include hands on reef restoration, field work and community engagement. He has experience in designing and implementing field based research experiments. He enjoys public speaking, running workshops and sharing his experiences to inspire people to protect the reef.
Kailash recently graduated from Pimlico State High School in 2020 and has joined Reef Ecologic prior to the commencement of a Bachelor of Science at the University of Queensland in July, 2021. Kailash hopes to help refine his skills and become a well-rounded marine scientist. However, he hopes to get out in the field as much as possible because out on the ocean is where his heart truly lies.
2020
Arnikah Dean
Arnikah is currently studying a Master of Science in Environmental Management at James Cook University. Having developed a sound knowledge of key components of this field, such as environmental/social impact assessments and environmental policy/legislation, she is now hoping to gain more exposure to real-world applications of environmental management. With an undergraduate degree in Marine Science, she has strong report writing and research skills and extensive fieldwork experience in various locations around Queensland, and international locations such as Hawaii and The Galapagos Islands where she completed components of her study.
Arnikah is striving to develop her skills and knowledge and build a career within the field of environmental management. Particularly, she is passionate about promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and protecting precious environments like the Great Barrier Reef.
Daniel Cassidy
Daniel is an MSc graduate student from the University of Essex. Daniel came into contact with us through his girlfriend Greta, who is another intern here at Reef Ecologic. He is also an MSc graduate from the University of Essex, UK. Between his BSc in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth and his MSc in tropical marine biology in Essex, Daniel has become a Divemaster and undertaken fieldwork in remote areas of Indonesia, as well as fieldwork in less-remote, less-tropical Vobster quay. His research interests span from genetics and microbiology to coral restoration and field science. He has advanced statistics skills using R and his passion for research is clear during data analysis. Daniel is looking to further broaden his skillset here at Reef Ecologic by improving his communication skills, online presence and learning new field sampling skills. Outside of the world of science, Daniel is a keen macro photographer with a love for all things small, weird and wonderful in the ocean that you might not see at first glance.
Greta Sartori
Greta is a graduated student from the MSc in Tropical Marine Biology at University of Essex (UK) which has been passionate about coral reefs since the earliest years of her life. For this reason she decided to undergo a bachelor in Natural Sciences, concerning not only the biological sphere, since coral reef history and dynamics are strictly related to geological processes and oceanography. During her formation she also became a professional SCUBA diver, specializing in different survey methods and performing both her dissertations on the field. During these experiences she has been assessing the effectiveness of different kinds of coral nurseries in the Dominican Republic, and she has created a model to investigate the drivers of fish assemblage structure in a marine protected area in Indonesia.
Greta is looking forward to improving her knowledge about environmental management and impact assessments, while helping in writing scientific articles about our projects thanks to her statistical analysis skills. She is also keen to observe and learn more about the Great Barrier Reef, aiming to have a better understanding of how coral reef ecosystems differ around the world after she has been focusing on other areas during her formation.
Al Songcuan
Al is a Master of Science in Marine Biology student at JCU: James Cook University, Australia who is participating in a science-based professional workplace placement with Reef Ecologic from Jan-May 2020. He is a divemaster from the Philippines with a diverse skill set and has a strong research background in different fields of marine science such as fisheries, climate change, habitat and vulnerability assessment, marine ecology, environmental management, geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). He is very passionate about using his knowledge and skills to help manage the marine environment and save the reefs for future generation.
2019
Susanna Primavesi
Susanna completed a working internship with Reef Ecologic from September to December, 2109. Susanna assisted all members of Reef Ecologic with a range of activities including data collection and analysis, report writing and communications development.
During her time with Reef Ecologic Susanna was a willing and able member of the team, always ready to help and offering to assist wherever possible. Susanna displays good initiative, often assessing situations and determining requirements without asking. If there was ever any confusion she would inquire to ensure she was performing tasks to the required standard. She has a humorous nature and was always a happy and positive person to have around.
Gaia Bostick
Home Institution: University of Puget Sound
Sociology/Anthropology/Environmental Policy & Decision-Making Double Major and Music Minor (Vocal Emphasis)
Project Advisors: Nathan Cook & Adam Smith
2018
Kirk Heath and Megan Fraser
Interns Megan Fraser, studying a Masters in Marine Science at JCU, and Kirk Heath, a mechanical engineer on a working holiday both hail from the United States and at different stages of 2018 have been active participants in Reef Ecologic projects.
Megan joined Reef Ecologic and over the course of a 10-week collaboration she helped the team develop and implement an integrated management system to help the company deliver on its environmental sustainability goals.
“It is difficult to find internship opportunities that provide exposure to the diversity of fields Reef Ecologic provided.” Megan said. “Adam looked both at my skills and the company’s needs and devised a task that complemented both. The project challenged me to go outside my comfort zone helping me develop beyond what I thought was possible”
Kirk was nearing the end of a working holiday and after having traveled around Australia, he wanted to give back to the country in a way that was meaningful. “I have a passion for marine life as an important part of the natural environment. Reef Ecologic are currently implementing the Public Art and Reef Restoration Project in the Whitsundays and their needs were a good fit for my engineering background”.
Intern Kirk Heath participating in field work as part of the Whitsundays Public Art and Reef Restoration Program
“The three months with Reef Ecologic provided me with opportunities to employ my skills and experience in the marine environment which was a great match and opportunity for me to contribute to an important cause”.
The future of marine science and management focused jobs requires professionals to demonstrate applied experience. “We feel privileged to share our knowledge in this way and to help nurture the next generation of environmental leaders.” Dr Smith said.
“The program focuses on people but it is a two-way street. Megan and Kirk have been a great asset to Reef Ecologic and hopefully we’ve helped them learn, grow and develop”
The Reef Ecologic Internship program is focused on helping people not only develop and grow professionally, but also personally. “We want to work with people who want to embrace a challenge, go out of their comfort zone, work as part of a close knit team and most importantly, have fun” said Dr Smith.
Reef Ecologic will facilitate opportunities for 2 interns in 2019. If you would like the opportunity to be considered as an intern please send a copy of your resume and your suggestions for a project to adam.smith@reefecologic.org.