Volunteer with a marine conservation program to aid dolphins.
Volunteer projects in marine conservation allow you to work in a hands-on environment with dolphins, sharks, turtles and on coral reefs. Prior scuba diving experience may be required or offered through the program coordinators. You can choose to aid the marine habitat in the United States or in 40 different countries around the globe. Land based programs for non-swimmers are also typically available. Some programs offer the chance to earn college credit for participating in the marine conservation effort. Volunteer programs range from a single day to multiple month commitments.
Sea Turtles
Sea turtle conservation programs routinely offer volunteers the chance to learn about endangered turtles an conduct nest checks. Both night and day checks require hunting for nesting turtles, counting tracks around the nests, counting turtle eggs and tagging or measuring juvenile turtles and hatchlings. Conservation projects at Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica, at the Karen Beasley refuge in North Carolina, and Lakonikos Bay in Greece share a primary goal of protecting turtle nests and documenting successful hatching and egg disturbances.
Dolphins
Dolphin conservation projects include both underwater observation and board deck recording of pod habits. Program staff train volunteers in the skills necessary to aid with research and snorkeling. Programs are both day based and residential in nature. Volunteer conservation efforts which require several weeks to a month commitment typically offer dorm style accommodations or lodging with local families. Dolphin conservation projects are routinely hosted by the Kenya wildlife service in Africa and at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys. The project goals include tracking tagged dolphins after being released back into the wild and monitoring dolphin communication.
Coral Reef
Discover the beauty and positive environmental impact of coral reefs. You would learn about the structure and function of water-based ecosystems and the types of aquatic life which depend on a healthy coral reed for survival. Volunteers help clear debris and invasive plants away from the reef, analyze debris and help professional researches conduct reef health checks and compile statistics. Coral Reef conservation projects are offered by the Great Barrier Reef group in Australia and through around the world by organizations such as CoralWatch, Project AWARE and the Reef Check Foundation. The primary focus of the projects is to restore or monitor the health of the coral reef.
Great White Sharks
The Great White Shark Conservation project in South Africa monitors the health of the massive predators and documents their behavior. Common researcher and volunteer activities include surveying wounded sharks and seals, monitoring shark and seal interactions during boat tours, acoustically tracking the sharks for tagging and creating a photo identification database. The program typically functions along Mossel Bay and the Garden Route and on Seal Island near Cape Town. The primary goal of the project is to dispel the theory that the animals are an inherently dangerous to humans and successfully manage and conserve the shark population.
Tags: marine conservation, conservation projects, coral reefs, Dolphin conservation, Dolphin conservation projects, Great White