Whale Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

POSITION DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE: Right Whale Festival Communications Intern

REPORTS TO: Right Whale Festival Coordinator

SUPERVISES: N/A

EXEMPT OR NON-EXEMPT: Non-Exempt

PERCENTAGE OF FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT: Unpaid Intern

PERMANENT/SEASONAL/TEMPORARY: Seasonal

LOCATION: Remote

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY:

The intern’s primary responsibility will be to assist the Right Whale Festival coordinator and planning committee with efforts to promote the 2026 Right Whale Festival and North Atlantic right whale conservation. Each year, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) hosts the Right Whale Festival to celebrate the seasonal return of endangered right whales and build public awareness for the species. The 2026 Festival will be held on Saturday, November 7th & Sunday, November 8th at the Main Beach Park on Fernandina Beach, Florida. With less than 380 remaining, this family-fun event raises awareness of the threats to right whales and how we can help in their recovery. The festival highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction, as well as ocean-themed activities and exhibits that emphasize education and environmentally responsible adventures and products.

This intern will develop of digital communications strategy for promoting the festival through various online resources, including but not limited to social media, event calendars, web ads, and blogs. The strategy should include a proposed budget, content ideation, and implementation schedules. The development of a series of social media posts to be scheduled from the end of the internship through the date of the festival will be required. In addition, this position may need to prepare written content for other outreach and communication needs.

The internship will span TBD (May through mid-November preferable). The intern will be required to attend weekly Zoom update meetings with the Right Whale Festival Coordinator, as well as a monthly planning committee meeting.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The ideal candidate should be a self-starter, detail oriented, readily able to adapt to change, and able to work independently. Candidates should have access to adequate WIFI and Zoom to attend meetings. An email account with access to Google Drive is required.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Interest in marine mammal conservation, specifically related North Atlantic right whales
• Knowledge or experience with outreach and communications
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills and ability to communicate effectively
• Ability to develop creative and innovative content
• Familiarity with various social media sites, including analytics
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Excel, as well as Google Docs/Sheets

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Able to sit for extended periods of time – Frequently
• Able to use computer keyboard with or without modifications - Frequently

Clearwater Marine Aquarium reserves the right to revise job descriptions or work hours as required.

All job requirements are subject to change to reflect the evolving position requirements or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a threat or risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with Federal and State Laws).

A statement of “seasonal” position is not a guarantee of employment. It simply means the role has a defined season – set period of time. In Florida, employment is “at-will” by default, meaning either party can terminate the relationship at any time for any legal reason and as such continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Clearwater Marine Aquarium participates in E-Verify, please view the Notice of E-Verify Participation and the Notice of Right to Work.