Ocean Climate Solutions Science Intern

The Ocean Climate Solutions Science Intern at the Environmental Defense Fund in Boston, MA, will support initiatives on marine carbon dioxide removal and ocean climate solutions. Responsibilities include developing outreach toolkits, creating communication materials, and engaging in community outreach efforts. The intern will work closely with the Oceans Science Team and contribute to research on fisheries management and marine ecosystem resilience in the context of climate change.
EDF internships provide high-quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) that form the foundation for any individual who is serious about pursuing an environmental career.

Program/Department Overview

The goal of EDF's Ocean Science Program is to deliver the science that will help build resilient oceans that provide more fish in the water, more-and more secure-food on the plate and more prosperous fishing communities, all over the world, even with climate change. In recent years, we have focused on the science behind robust transformations of fisheries management in the U.S., China, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Belize, Cuba and Europe, working in partnership with diverse stakeholders and coastal communities. Scientific priorities include developing new approaches to understand and address the role of the ocean as a climate ally as well as the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, including not only resilient fisheries, but also complementary engagements that enhance marine and coastal ecosystem resilience and human wellbeing, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.

Overall Function

The intern will contribute to several ongoing EDF initiatives focused on the science surrounding marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), a set of natural and engineered approaches that have been proposed to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in seawater, organic matter or ocean sediments. The intern will support EDF's work as an advocate for fair, unbiased and safe exploratory research of CDR and other geoengineering technologies by developing a visually compelling, publicly available outreach and messaging toolkit. The toolkit will guide mCDR researchers in their community engagement efforts and strategies to address deeper community values and needs. This resource will synthesize and build on lessons learned from the LOC-NESS (Locking Organic Carbon in the Northeast Shelf and Slope) project, a planned mCDR field experiment conducted by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

The intern will also contribute to an ongoing EDF evaluation of the fundamental science associated with a broad range of proposed ocean climate solutions, ranging from restoration of blue carbon ecosystems to conservation of mesopelagic fisheries and injection of captured CO2 into the seabed. The intern will report directly to a Staff Scientist and Postdoctoral Fellow on EDF's Oceans Science Team, with opportunities for frequent collaboration with EDF science and policy staff and the WHOI LOC-NESS project leads.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:
• Synthesize lessons learned from WHOI's LOC-NESS public engagement efforts into an outreach and messaging toolkit for mCDR researchers and practitioners.
• Develop communications materials including but not limited to graphics, explainers, infographics, slide decks, pocket guides, one-pagers, and videos.
• Participate in and contribute to ongoing LOC-NESS community engagement, outreach, and education efforts including but not limited to town halls, tabling at public meetings and science festivals, webinars, and educational workshops.
• Assist EDF Oceans Science team members in reviewing scientific literature associated with various ocean climate solutions, preparing written summaries of findings and compiling scientific data.
• Participate in team meetings and check-ins, and function as a fully integrated team member.
• Participate in advancing EDF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications
• Enrolled in or a recent graduate of a degree program with coursework in science communication, design or visual studies, climate science, marine science, ocean or carbonate chemistry, and/or related fields.
• Demonstrated interest in ocean or coastal ecosystem science or policy, fisheries science or policy, and/or biogeochemistry
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in science communication and outreach, including engaging communities to equitably and effectively address environmental and climate challenges
• Demonstrated interest or experience in developing visual science communication tools or infographics with tools such as R, Python, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or similar.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be well organized, motivated, and detail-oriented, with the ability to work for off-site supervisors.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills.

Location

U.S. Remote with option to be hybrid out of the EDF office in Boston. Intern supervisors are West Coast-based, and the LOC-NESS team leads are based at WHOI on Cape Cod. Massachusetts-based applicants are particularly encouraged to apply.

Term

Summer 2025 (10 weeks)

Hours

Full-time (35 hr/week)

Compensation

This internship would involve compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits at $18-20/hr, depending on education level.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application.

Learn more about internships at EDF -http://www.edf.org/environmental-careers/internships