Atoll Volunteers

Vacancy - Marine Biologist Internship

Our two marine biologists are in charge of running the marine centre, caring for the sea
turtles, progressing our coral gardening efforts, raising environmental awareness within
the community, monitoring local reef health and managing the international volunteers
who pay to participate in the marine programme Marine Conservation and Turtle
Conservation. The daily work is mostly caring for the turtles, but the more efficient the
management of the turtle programme, the more time there will be for the other projects.

The work requires constant commitment and passion. The position offers a lot of
responsibility and the chosen candidate will be expected to manage this in a disciplined
and professional way while also keeping a healthy balance between work and fun. We
attract volunteers from around the world, from different backgrounds and with different
needs. You will lead and interact with these volunteers daily and we strive to make sure
that they have a meaningful stay with us.

Responsibilities

As the marine biologist your job description will include the following:

1. Managing and expanding/improving the Marine Conservation and Turtle

Conservation programme:

Ensuring correct sea turtle husbandry (daily)

Working towards effective protection for sea turtles and their eggs
Establishing and maintaining constructive communications with other sea turtle
institutions
Continuing turtle conservation contributions for the Maldives Sea Turtle
Monitoring Network
Restarting and monitoring coral gardening work
Monitoring reef health in the surrounding areas

2. Managing and expanding/improving awareness outreach into the community:

Weekly nature club lessons (ages 10-15)

Environmental events to reach the whole community, including annual Turtle
Festival (around 1000 attendees)
Reaching out to neighbouring islands

3. Ensuring the health and happiness of participating volunteers and overseeing duties
concerned with their stay.
4. Writing progress reports, funding reports and funding proposals where
necessary, as well as daily admin.

5. Managing the operations and expansions at our marine centre

Daily opening to receive and educate visitors (locals and tourists) includes
Powerpoint presentation, marine centre tour etc. Confidence with large groups
preferred.
Maintaining and improving aesthetic appeal, operational facilities and
educational content/displays.

Requirements/ Experience / Qualifications:

The below criteria are extremely important as your effectiveness here will depend on
your ability to thrive in the conditions and face all the tasks ahead.

Necessary:

1. You must have a Masters degree or a Bachelor degree with a lot of experience in a
related field; marine biology, marine ecology etc.

2. You should have proven experience working in a tropical and/or developing country.
Conditions are basic, food is simple and island operations and supplies tend to be
limited and slow under the concept of island time.

3. You will need to be an easy-going, approachable and friendly team player as this
position is more than a scientific one. You will be leading a team of culturally diverse
volunteers, working within a small community and working with busy NGO members.

4. The ability to work independently will be important as your behind-the-scenes

work/ideas will lead and mould the programme going forward.

5. You will need to be a confident and charismatic speaker with experience delivering
informative but attractive and interactive slideshows. You will be delivering
presentations to volunteers, tourists, school children and even adult members of the
community, council or other NGOs.

6. You will need to be physically fit and comfortable/ strong in the water. It is extremely
hot and unsheltered and you will have to travel around the island by foot.

7. You will need to be available for 12 months.

8. You will need to be a proficient English speaker. Other languages are beneficial.

9. You must be competent with Microsoft programmes and admin tasks.

Desirable:

1. Experience working with sea turtles, whether in the wild or a captive scenario, will be
hugely beneficial as the health and happiness of the turtles is our first priority.

2. A working knowledge of reef ecology and tropical marine species.

3. Knowledge about aquarium maintenance and fish husbandry for our Anemone fish
breeding programme (funded by the UNDP).

4. Experience with surgical procedures in a veterinary environment is beneficial due to

recent increase of emergency care situations.

Whats in it for you?

Well, aside from the obvious perks delivered by the Maldives, namely the beautiful
setting and fantastic marine life, you will be based in a wonderfully friendly community,
fully supported in your work with a programme that is yours to mould and take into the
future.

Being based on a local island, as opposed to a resort island, you will have the very real
and exciting opportunity to instigate beneficial change right where it is needed. The
community is responsive and ready to be educated.

Becoming our new marine biologist will also grant you the unique chance to experience
life in the real Maldives, outside the crowded and expensive tourist resorts. On our
island there are just over 5000 inhabitants so expect to be living in a small island
community where everyone knows everyone and where you are bound to be welcomed
with open arms and a sense of hospitality which is rare in this world!

We do what we can to engage our volunteers in social activities, so on the weekends we

arrange weekly excursions to explore the wonders of the Maldives, whether to
uninhabited islands or our favourite snorkeling spots. This is an unpaid position.
However, your board, lodging, domestic travel and visa will be covered
while you are in Naifaru.

contact details including email, telephone and business address.

Application Process & Deadline:

To apply for the position you must submit an application (CV and covering letter) to the
Volunteer Coordinator on: coordinator@atollvolunteers.com. Questions are also
welcome.
Applicants must apply no later than the 10th of March, interviews will be held soon
after individual application submissions due to the position start date. Therefore,
the earlier you can submit, the better. Applicants must be available to begin mid to late
March and commit for 12 months.

Tel - +960 756 4516

Charity address

Atoll Volunteers, Naifaru Juvenile, Naifaru, The Maldives