The Fisheries Conservation Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
(SERC) is recruiting students for paid internships during the summer of 2021. In
accordance with COVID-19 safety precautions; we will be unable to provide on-site
housing for students, so we are interested in students who are looking for virtual
internship opportunities as well as the possibility of students who live locally and
would be able to commute to the SERC campus multiple days per week.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland offers
undergraduate and beginning graduate students a unique opportunity to gain
experience in the fields of environmental research and education. The program
enables students to work on specific projects while getting experience in valuable
research methods all under the direction of the Center’s professional staff. The
program is tailored to provide the maximum educational benefit to each participant.

SERC is focused on understanding the causes and consequences of environmental
change for marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Interns at SERC conduct
independent projects over 10-12 weeks utilizing our 2,650-acre research site on the
shores of Chesapeake Bay to provide novel insights into some of the most profound
issues challenging our world today; including habitat loss, climate change, and
invasive species. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center has maintained an
NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates site since 2001 and those
students sponsored have used our professional-training programs as a stepping stone
to pursue advanced careers in the environmental sciences.

The Fisheries Conservation Lab in particular focuses on conservation efforts related to
fisheries and the ecosystems that support them. With our research, we hope to
directly inform management practices that rebuild populations of species impacted
by historical fisheries and maintain sustainable harvests of species that support today’s
fisheries. We study species ranging from oysters and crabs to migratory fish, sharks,
and rays, which are critical to sustaining vibrant coastal communities and human
health. We apply field and laboratory experiments, animal tracking technologies,
models, long-term observational studies, and historical perspectives to address
fisheries issues including sustainability of fished populations, altered food webs and
trophic interactions, linkages between habitat and fisheries, invasive species, and
climate change.

How to Apply:
Application to the SERC Internship Program consists of on-line registration, student
copy of transcripts, personal essay, CV or resume, and two letters of recommendation
using the Smithsonian On-line Academic Appointment (https://solaa.si.edu/solaa/#/public).

Application deadline for summer internships (May-August) is February 15th.
Alternatively, if you identify as a person of color or if you are a first generation college student, you are eligible to apply through the the Chesapeake Research
Consortium’s C-StREAM program and request to be placed in the Fisheries
Conservation Lab at SERC. This application is due February 20th. You can apply for
both the SERC and the C-StREAM programs.