Internship

Internship: Caribbean sharks and rays

Wageningen University & Research is looking for students to conduct BRUV surveys on one or more reefs (depending on the start date). These students will work with local nature conservation organizations to plan and execute the surveys and will collect environmental data such as coordinates, bottom depth, habitat type, and sea surface temperature.

Background of the intership

This study, which builds on extensive surveys conducted from 2012 to 2017 around the reefs of Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and Curaçao, will reassess elasmobranch populations after the MPA was established.

The student will manage and store data in a systematic way before and after analysing video recordings to determine elasmobranch abundance (MaxN), species richness, behaviours, and habitat use. Furthermore, the student will be involved in the daily activities of local conservation organisations to support their work.

This study, which is a follow-up to the Global Finprint study, aims to provide important data on local elasmobranch populations to support improved protection measures in the Dutch Caribbean and inform global shark conservation strategies.

Aim of the internship

The aim of this internship is to assess the impact of recently established Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) n elasmobranch (shark and ray) communities in the Dutch Caribbean using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys.

Used skills

  • Video image analytics
  • Data management
  • Elasmobranch identification
  • Statistical data analysis

Requirements

  • Interest in tropical elasmobranch ecology
  • Good organising and social skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Fieldwork experience under challenging conditions
  • Project management experience
  • Basic knowledge of R

Responding with a motivation is possible until 1 August 2024.