Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS) in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) provides critical nesting habitat for hawksbill and green sea turtles.

BUIS is the primary index nesting beach under U.S. jurisdiction for the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and is the only fully protected site in the Caribbean where hawksbills forage and nest (National Marine Fisheries Service & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). BUIS also provides important nesting and foraging habitat for a recovering aggregation of green turtles (Hart et al. 2017). As federally listed species, sea turtles are a high management priority at BUIS. The NPS BUIS Division of Resource Management, with support from agency and academic partners, has conducted extensive research and monitoring of sea turtle populations at BUIS for thirty-five years (1987-2022), as part of the Buck Island Sea Turtle Research Program (BISTRP). BISTRP is an incredibly successful program that has resulted in the recovery of sea turtle populations at BUIS.

However, the nest success at Buck Island is still being impacted by a multitude of factors. Depending on the location and environment, such factors include predators, solar radiation, water inundation, and wash-out. Based on 2014-2022 excavation data, the greatest threat to the Buck Island National Reef Monument’s sea turtle clutches is the presence of “bacteria.” The Buck Island Sea Turtle Research Program (BISTRP) uses the term “bacteria” as a blanket term to describe eggs that showed tissue degradation and discoloration. In 2018-2022, pathogenic impacts (bacteria) were found in 500 nests and impacting nearly 4,000 eggs between the two species. Due to the extensive impact on the success of these threatened and endangered species this is a considerable threat that should be explored.

Work Products:

1. The intern will analyze nesting data collected from 2014-2022 including hatch and egg success, mortality factors and predation to determine the factors that have the greatest impact to nest success for both green and hawksbills at Buck Island. The intern will also explore environmental datasets to determine if there are environmental variables that contribute to decreased nest success (i.e., areas of high soil content have increased “bacteria” prevalence).
2. The intern will participate in a 6–8-week nocturnal field season assisting research associates with data collection for 2023. The intern will assist a master’s student with the collection of soil and biological samples from the nesting beaches and females to determine where harmful microbes are being introduced to the nests.
3. Provide NPS with products that will aid in the development of future management practices that ensure continued recovery of nesting sea turtle populations by improving reproductive success at BUIS.
4. Gain significant experience in disseminating project findings beyond the realm of academia, by learning how science is used to inform effective natural resource management strategies.
5. Gain significant communication and mentoring skills by conducting a workshop for the Youth Ocean Explorers program, a STEM summer camp for local under-represented students in the US Virgin Islands. The intern will also develop a brief summary of project results educational materials to be shared at this summer camp, as well as with local schools and conservation initiatives to increase community awareness of local sea turtle conservation efforts.
6. The intern will be exposed to the mid-term and final evaluation process, modeled after the NPS employee performance/appraisal plans, to simulate and train the intern for employment with NPS.

Intern Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Biology (or related field)-preferred, but would accept a student currently enrolled in an undergraduate program
• Required coursework (at undergraduate and/or graduate level): Biology, ecology, statistics

Skills:

• Data analysis and scientific writing—must demonstrate experience in data management and analysis
• Education / outreach experience with K-12 and undergraduate students—competent without supervision; must demonstrate proficient experience in science communication to local communities
• Management of large datasets—some experience preferred, but not necessary
• Development of education / outreach programs—some experience preferred, but not necessary
• Reliable and supportive team member with a history of working with groups of people including interns, volunteers, or their peers.
• Comfortable working in the field with large animals, near water and on boats.

Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.