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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

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, include " “Howard Laboratory Outreach” in the subject line."

Examples of past events we’ve participated in include:

  • Girl Scouts of New Jersey Career Day
  • Long Branch High School Earth Day
  • Leadership Initiative for Networking and Collaboration (LINC) Conference

More Information

More Information

Last updated by Northeast Fisheries Science Center on 05/14/2026