There are recently graduated students out there, looking to get their feet wet (both literally and figuratively). There are state coastal management programs out there, looking for someone to lead or staff a special project. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center brings these two groups together through the Coastal Management Fellowship Program.
Since 1996 the program has matched postgraduate students with state coastal zone programs for a two-year opportunity. The type of work that results from this union varies widely. The 2004 project proposals, for instance, include
- Putting together a regional marine geographic information system (GIS) for Maine;
- Working toward the eradication of aquatic invaders in the Northeast region;
- Assessing and improving the groundwater program in coastal New Hampshire;
- Enhancing New Jersey's public access program;
- Protecting New York water quality through nonpoint source pollution management and habitat restoration; and
- Improving the management of Oregon's rocky shores.
To participate, coastal zone management programs submit their project proposals to the NOAA Coastal Services Center. Potential fellows apply to their local Sea Grant office. The winning candidates from each process then meet and interact during the placement workshop held each spring in Charleston, South Carolina.
To learn more about the process, visit www.csc.noaa.gov/cms/fellows.html or contact Carmen Nash at Carmen.Nash@noaa.gov, or (843) 740-1263.
Pacific Islands Assistantship
Participating in the Coastal Management Fellowship program has always been open to people and programs of the Pacific Islands, but the geographic remoteness of this region often limits participation.
To meet this challenge, the NOAA Coastal Services Center developed the Pacific Islands Assistantship Program, which serves American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawaii. The program is very similar to the fellowship program, with assistants working on special projects identified by each host island.
For more information, visit the NOAA Coastal Services Center's Web site at www.csc.noaa.gov/cms/fellows/pacific-island.html, or contact Darcee Killpack of the NOAA Pacific Services Center at (808) 532-3202, or Darcee.Killpack@noaa.gov.
Coral Management Assistantship
Another island-based program is the Coral Management Assistantship. This program was established in 2003 for the agencies responsible for managing coral reefs in the Pacific and Caribbean U.S. flag islands.
Assistants are placed with host jurisdictions for two years to support local coral management projects. This inaugural group will work on the issues of overuse, education and outreach needs, and land-based pollution concerns.
For more information, visit the Coral Management Assistantship Web site at www.csc.noaa.gov/cms/assistants/. You may also contact Carmen Nash of the NOAA Coastal Services Center at (843) 740-1263, or Carmen.Nash@noaa.gov.
