Ocean Institute high school internship program: inspiring and educating students about the ocean environment

Summary form only given. The Ocean Institute has created and piloted a high school level internship program for students interested in acquiring hands-on experience with current research in the field of marine science. Interns are put through a broad training program, and then select an area of focus for the duration of their internship. Students may opt to work aboard our 70-foot research vessel, the R/V Sea Explorer, assist our aquarists in the lab with animal husbandry, or train to collect data in the intertidal zone as part of a long term invertebrate population study in conjuction with Orange County. Students are encouraged to explore additional topics for research and study within these areas, and are supervised by our staff and scientists. The Ocean Institute is currently working with four high school marine science classes, two of which are from alternative schools, and two groups of individual students from a multitude of high schools. The internship serves to educate and inspire students about the ocean environment, and provide students with research skills and knowledge that will benefit them as they go on to college.