Ocean Alliance Project- Six Week Marine Research Internship

Our second cohort of 2024 summer interns began their six week Marine Research Internship on Monday, and it’s our biggest cohort yet! Dive into the blog below to find out what our interns got up to.

What is Ocean Alliance Project?

Ocean Alliance Project (OAP) is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization based in on Oahu, Hawaii. Our goal is to protect and preserve the marine biodiversity of Oahu, Hawaii. We do this through community based monitoring and regenerative tourism programs, like the six week Marine Research Internship.

What is the Marine Research Internship?

The Six Week Marine Research Internship is a PADI Conservation Diver program offered by OAP. Through a combination of theory, practical fieldwork, and independent research, our interns gain insights into the importance of coral reef preservation and restoration.

Our First Week

At 9am on the first day, OAP Executive Director Dylan Brown met the six new eager interns at our fabulous classroom located at the Kahala Resort, Honolulu. Following a round-robin of introductions, Dylan lead the students through an outline of the course and what to expect over the next six weeks. Our interns signed the necessary paperwork, then headed over to MaunaLua Bay for their first dive!

Buoyancy and Navigation

Monday through Wednesday saw us working on buoyancy, dive technique (frog kicks and helicopter turns) and navigation skills. Although our interns ranged from Advanced Openwater to PADI Divemaster, each of them was able to take something new from these first few days.

The Ecological Monitoring Program

Thursday and Saturday saw us beginning the Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP). Within the EMP, four types of surveys are used to attain ecological data from an area. These are the Invertebrate, Chordate, Coral Disease and Substrate Composition surveys. Our interns were super excited to cover the invertebrate and chordate surveys this week, with coral disease and substrate composition surveys scheduled for week two.

“Having a list of indicator species to learn and then find was a fun challenge. It was like being set free on a scavenger hunt.” intern Pippa said.

Over the six week program our interns will:

• Master buoyancy and navigation underwater on SCUBA
• Complete invertebrate, fish and benthic surveys on SCUBA
• Complete photogrammetry surveys of the benthic substrate
• Understand how coral reefs function and the threats they face
• Complete sea turtle identification surveys on SCUBA
• Complete an independent research project using the data they have collected

We are looking forward to seeing how these students progress over the next five weeks.

How to Get Involved and Support Ocean Alliance Project

If you want to find out more about our internship opportunities, check out our upcoming programs:

• 1 Day Sea Turtle/ Coral Reef Conservationist Program: Learn More & Sign Up
• 4 Day Ecological Monitoring Program: Learn More & Sign Up
• 6 Week Marine Research Internship: Learn More & Sign Up
• 8 Week Scientific Divemaster Internship: Learn More & Sign Up

Or, if you’d like to support Ocean Alliance Project in other ways, consider donating or collaborating with us through the Get Involved section on our website.