The Marine Environment Research Association – AIMM
Focus: Marine Biology.
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Project Description
The Marine Environment Research Association – AIMM is born by the initiative of a group of young Portuguese marine biologists and researchers to who aim at developing research and educational programs towards the marine environment, namely the conservation of several marine species of cetaceans, marine turtles, sharks and birds. AIMM was found in 2010 was a non-for profit, non-governmental organization with international scope.
Volunteer Information
Costs & Benefits
Requirements
Contact information
Project Summary
Our program will give you the opportunity to get to know the local species better. The field trips are conducted in partnership with dolphin-watching companies. Photo identification.
If you always wanted to do dolphin research but never had the chance, or if you are starting a career in the field and need more experience, you are in the right place: AIMM Portugal has an internship programme running from May to October. Our programme will give you the opportunity to get to know several species of cetaceans, sharks, sea turtles and marine birds, which occur in the South of Portugal. Namely it will provide you the chance to identify and interpret their behaviour, social composition of the group, amongst others.
AIMM researchers will provide training lectures and field work training. During this period you will learn and use several of the most used techniques and methodologies to study cetaceans. It will be given the opportunity to learn about data collection, photo analyses (photo-id), acoustic records, underwater and aerial videos, etc.
The field trips are conducted in AIMM’s research vessel, Ketos, and also aboard commercial whale watch boats in partnership.The species found vary slightly with the time of year but the most sighted are the short beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Occasionally we can also find the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), stripped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Orca (Orcinus orca), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus).
For every cetacean group found we collect several biological, ecological and environmental data.
400 EUR/week including: Accommodation, transport to the marina, meals (in-house).
The interns share the house with research assistants and researchers, in a villa in Albufeira, Portugal. 2 rooms with 2 bathrooms, living room, kitchen and small yard.
The interns will share the house with AIMM researchers and assistants, in a villa in Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal.
Participants will share four rooms, three bathrooms, living room, kitchen, loft, garden and a private pool. The house has Wi-Fi and laundry room. The atmosphere is very informal and usually quite familiar. Everyone shares house chores, such as cleaning and cooking. It is very important to keep in mind that the team is usually constituted by members of different countries with different levels of English, so people need to be tolerant with each other.
Participants must be at least 16 years old and stay for a minimum of 1 week. Due to logistical constraints the number of participants per week is limited. The term 'week' should be understood as 7 days and not the period 'Monday to Sunday'. Although we don't require previous experience, preference is given to those who have:
Work experience with marine mammals, Experience working in research boats and/or whale-watching boats, Experience with photo-identification, Professional cameras that can be used for photo identification, Availability to stay for longer periods of time
AIMM Portugal - Marine Environment Research Association
Rua Maestro Frederico de Freitas,
nº15 – 1ºandar,
1500-399 Lisboa
Tel: ++351916667679
Email: info@aimm-portugal.org
Website: www.aimmportugal.org
Location:Lisboa, Portugal
Average cost per day: 55 Euros
Focus: Marine biology
Skills needed: Volunteers must be at least 16 years old
