We’re excited to introduce REEF’s new Marine Conservation Interns for the Fall 2018 semester. These four individuals will support the REEF team in mission-oriented tasks and daily office operations, as well as assist in the Upper Keys Lionfish Derby and REEF’s biggest event of the year, REEF Fest. They will also have opportunities to scuba dive, conduct fish surveys, and volunteer with environmental organizations in South Florida and the Florida Keys. This semester’s interns bring diverse skills and interests to REEF. They include: 

Annie Innes-Gold from Northampton, Massachusetts: Annie has a B.A. in biology from Vassar College. Annie has studied tree frogs in Panama, participated in coral reef field surveys in South Caicos, and worked in a coral genetics lab. She is excited to learn more about ocean conservation research and outreach as part of the REEF team.

Allyson DeMerlis from Great Falls, Virginia: Allyson has a B.S. in biology from McGill University. She realized her passion for tropical marine biology (and sea turtles!) while studying abroad in Panama and interned at NOAA Fisheries in Hawaii after graduation. Allyson is looking forward to her internship with REEF and gaining more diving certifications while she’s in Key Largo.

Alison (Ali) Treen from Darien, Connecticut: Ali has a B.A. in Professional Writing and Sustainability from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her volunteer experience at a sea turtle hospital in North Carolina—where she also learned to scuba dive—sparked her passion for marine conservation, and she’s excited to combine that interest with writing and communications at REEF.

Christy Babonau from Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada: Christy graduated from The University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education in Biology. After graduation, she completed her Divemaster certification in Utila, Honduras and worked with conservation organizations on the Bay Islands. While teaching middle school in Vancouver, she realized the importance of public education and citizen science and hopes to focus on education and outreach while at REEF. 

We’re happy to have Annie, Allyson, Ali and Christy join us this fall. Our interns are a vital part of REEF and we couldn’t accomplish our mission without them! For more information about the Marine Conservation Internship or to apply for a future semester, visit https://www.REEF.org/REEF-marine-conservation-internship-program.