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Sandy Hook Lab Internships and Outreach

At the James J. Howard Laboratory, we are dedicated to making our science accessible to everyone.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

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A color image taken on a sunny day. Two young women wearing light colored waders and heavy rubber gloves standing in waist-high water. They each hold an end of a fine-mesh net with floats on the top edge, and are dragging the net through the water.
Summer interns Megan Dotterweich (left) and Raven Benko (right), use a seine net in Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey to catch fish for use in laboratory experiments on climate change. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Chris Chambers

Our staff at the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook are mentoring the next generation of fisheries and marine scientists. We offer internships for high school and college students and participate in local and regional outreach events.

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A color image taken on a sunny day. People stand in six rows on a staircase between two white pillars at a building entrance. An American flag hangs from the top of the right pillar.
Sandy Hook Intern Partnership interns and mentors pose on the steps of the New Jersey Sea Grant building at Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Internships

Our staff mentors work with college and high school students through a variety of internship programs, offering opportunities in the following study areas:

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A color image taken in a brightly-lit laboratory.Two casually dressed students are looking at a tray of liquid-filled beakers, each containing fish eggs. At left, a young woman is watching a young man at right as he holds a dropper above one of the beakers on the tray below.
American Fisheries Society Hutton interns Jennifer Zhao (left) and Ian Winter (right) work together to complete an experiment. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Chris Chambers

For students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, we lead and participate in a variety of internship and student programs. Learn more about these college internships and other academic opportunities and how to apply. We encourage prospective interns to reach out to potential mentors about summer research projects before applying. To learn more about our mentors, browse the Howard Laboratory staff directory.

Student Career Development

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Two casually dressed female summer interns wearing protective gloves inspect a table of beakers. The woman at left holds a pipette and beaker in her hands. The woman on the right is pouring the content of one beaker into that of another. Behind them is an elevated wooden structure above several black tanks, framed with white plastic pipes that carry water to the wet lab.
In one of the wet labs at the Howard Laboratory, summer interns Melissa Drown (left) and Sarah Brewster (right) add fertilized fish eggs to beakers filled with seawater containing different concentrations of carbon dioxide, the source of ocean acidification. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Chris Chambers

Sandy Hook Intern Partnership Program

The Sandy Hook Intern Partnership Program is an annual summer mentorship experience open to all young professionals doing research at the Howard Laboratory. Its goal is to provide an inclusive environment that supports students in their scientific careers. This program helps volunteers, students, employees, and regional associates connected with our laboratory and/or the Sandy Hook campus grow their research and professional skills with guidance from our scientists. Meeting topics include:

  • Resume building
  • Establishing and maintaining professional networks
  • Giving effective presentations
  • Writing grant proposals 
  • Identifying education and career paths
  • Science communication

 

The program concludes with interns presenting their summer research. If you are an intern, volunteer, employee, or associate interested in the program please contact Chris Chambers or Beth Phelan. 

A color image taken on a sunny day. A sandy beach that hooks from left to right, with large rocks piled on top of each other in the lower left hand corner of the photo. To the right of the rocks and beach are the choppy waters of the ocean. Clear, cloudless sky in the background.
A view of the Atlantic Ocean from the rock jetties at the Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Veronica Malabanan Lucchese

Sandy Hook Outreach, Research, and Education Program

The Sandy Hook Outreach, Research, and Education program connects NOAA scientists with local high schools to increase environmental literacy in inner city communities. This program is broken into two sessions: an academic session that runs September to June and a summer session that runs July to August. The program goals are to:

  • Support STEM in underserved communities 
  • Increase community awareness of local environments, issues, and related NOAA research
  • Foster student creativity and stewardship
  • Create partnerships with local schools and environmental organizations 

Currently, we are working with the Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies. Participation is open to all New Jersey and New York high schools. Please contact Jeffrey Pessutti if you are interested in getting your high school involved. 

Academic Session: September to June

Once a month throughout the academic year, our scientists host interactive sessions about a variety of topics, including: 

  • Local ecology and environmental issues
  • Career development
  • Marine science technology
  • Science communication
  • NOAA mentorship

Summer Session: July to August

Our summer session gives students field experience, opportunities to network with local organizations, and resume-building guidance. This session is for students interested in conducting summer research and stewardship projects working with New York City Parks and the Hudson River Park Trust. 

Activities include:

  • Field trips to local parks
  • A career fair
  • Short-term research on a local habitat
  • Research with other local high school students 
  • Hands-on experience with science technology and gear

Outreach

We are committed to educating the public about our research, mission, and internships. Throughout the year, we work with internal and external partners to take part in outreach and public education events. 

A color image taken outdoors on a sunny day in front of a building. At center, a wooden counter painted to look like the stern of a small ship with the vessel name “Miss Sandy Hook Highlands, NJ” lettered on it. 14 people gather around it. In the background are decorations and posters for the Ocean Fun Day booths.
NOAA staff pose by the Miss Sandy Hook selfie station during the 2022 Ocean Fun Days celebration. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Kristen Jabanoski

Ocean Fun Days

Ocean Fun Days is an annual public event celebrating New Jersey’s natural resources. It takes place over two days every May at Island Beach State Park and Gateway National Park at Sandy Hook. Educational and entertaining for all ages, Ocean Fun Days is a great way to kick off summer and how to help protect our ocean. View event resources like educational videos and environmental activities. At Ocean Fun Days you can:

  • Participate in activities to learn about the environment
  • Chat with NOAA scientists and staff
  • Connect with academics and professionals
  • Enjoy outdoor guided tours

In addition to NOAA Fisheries, local environmental organizations offering presentations include:

Additional Outreach Activities

Three girls wearing pants and green Girl Scout vests decorated with badges stand in front of a cloth-draped table. A poster on the table includes images of women scientists in the field or lab. In front of the poster are toy sea creatures and a small screen with images of ocean animals.
Girl Scouts visit the NOAA career day table to learn about our science center and all the amazing women who work there. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Donna Johnson Three girls wearing pants and green Girl Scout vests decorated with badges stand in front of a cloth-draped table. A poster on the table includes images of women scientists in the field or lab. In front of the poster are toy sea creatures and a small screen with images of ocean animals.

Throughout the year, we work with internal and external partners to take part in outreach and public education events. If you’d like to include us in your event, please email our Academic Programs Office. Include “Howard Laboratory Outreach” in the subject line.

Examples of past events we’ve participated in include:

More Information

More Information

Last updated by Northeast Fisheries Science Center on 03/21/2023