We recently welcomed our Summer 2021 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF. They will support the REEF team by assisting with events, education and outreach programs, and daily operations around the REEF Campus. This semester’s interns bring a unique set of skills and interests to REEF. They include:
Maddie Brownfield is from St. Joseph, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in biochemistry. Her interest in the ocean was fostered through marine conservation-focused trips to Thailand and Forfar Field Station on Andros Island in The Bahamas. She has worked as a swim coach, campus tour guide, research assistant in a behavioral neuroscience lab, and even as a wedding videographer. She also helped start her university's first marine conservation organization, Save Our Seas Mizzou. Maddie hopes to attend graduate school and study marine biology and conservation to eventually work as a researcher or an educator. She is excited to combine her creative skills, passion for public outreach, and love for the ocean to help spread awareness about marine conservation.
Hailey Hiner is from a small town in northern Ohio. She graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a B.S. in kinesiology and health, and environmental science. In high school, she participated in two formative field study experiences at MarineLab in Key Largo. Initially working towards a career in healthcare, Hailey followed her passion for marine science and picked up an additional major in environmental science during her junior year. In college, she conducted research on the effects of ocean acidification on the seafood industry and its implications on human health. She hopes to further her education and combine her interests in public health and marine conservation to inform the public on the importance of ocean conservation. She is excited to be back in Key Largo to work with REEF while gaining more experience in ocean conservation, outreach, and education.
Mary Quinn is pursuing undergraduate degrees in biology and creative writing from Wheaton College in Massachusetts. Originally from Fairfield, Connecticut, she has always loved the ocean and grew up spending time on the Long Island Sound. She has served as a field intern team leader for the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance's Diamondback Terrapin Project. She obtained her scuba certification in the Turks and Caicos Islands while studying abroad at the School for Field Studies, Center for Resource Management Studies on remote South Caicos. While on South Caicos, she also conducted independent research on foraging behavior of yellowtail snapper. Mary loves working in the field as a part of team, and hopes to continue giving back to the environment, learning, and exploring different marine ecosystems worldwide.
Our interns are a vital part of REEF and we couldn’t accomplish our work without them. For more information about the Marine Conservation Internship or to apply for an upcoming semester, visit www.REEF.org/internship.