This internship is being co-funded by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust and Seafish. The position is hosted by Seafish and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI, Belfast) with additional support provided by Longline Environment Ltd.
We're seeking an Ecosystem Services Intern to work within our Regulation team. This role is required to undertake a key piece of work identified by the Shellfish Stakeholder Working Group (SSWG). The SSWG brings together shellfish producers, regulators and researchers to identify and find solutions to issues affecting UK shellfish production.
Water quality can be affected by sewage pollution and agricultural runoff, which cause nutrient dense waters and an overgrowth of marine algae, depleting water oxygen. The aim of this internship is to illustrate the economic value of the water quality improvement services provided by commercially important bivalve species to the UK. The results have the potential to inform the development of best practice guidance for bivalve related nutrient removal management programmes.
This is a full-time, 6-month fixed-term paid internship and you can be based remotely or in either of our Grimsby or Edinburgh offices.
As our Ecosystem Services Intern you will:
- Contribute toward the evidence base being developed for the ecosystem services and public goods contribution made by the fisheries and aquaculture industries in the UK.
- Evaluate the water quality improvement services provided by commercially important bivalve species such as mussels and oysters.
- Compare the cost savings provided by the nutrient removal through shellfish filter feeding with that of alternative nutrient management measures such as wastewater treatment or agricultural best management practices.
- Participate in SSWG meetings and present findings at end of internship.
- It is expected that the outputs of this work will be published as a Seafish report and/or peer-reviewed journal article.
The skills you will bring to the role:
- Science degree or post graduate qualification in a biological or ecological discipline
- Experience of mathematical/ecological modelling (essential)
- An understanding of shellfish aquaculture and/or water quality issues (desirable)
- Strong research and analytical skills (essential)
- Be highly motivated and interested in taking the initiative for your work
- Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships across a variety of organisations
- Ability to write to a high standard in English
Job Title: Ecosystems Services Intern (Paid Internship)
Location: Remote, Edinburgh or Grimsby (UK based)
Contract: 6-month Fixed-Term Contract, Full-time
