Dive into Marine Conservation: Internship Opportunities at the Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium is a leading marine conservation and education center in the Puget Sound region. More than just a place to observe fascinating marine life, the Aquarium is driven by a passionate team dedicated to its mission of inspiring conservation of our marine environment. The Seattle Aquarium provides many ways to get involved, from volunteering to internships, and is firmly committed to hiring highly skilled, talented, and motivated people who genuinely want to contribute to our shared success.
A Commitment to Diversity and Equal Opportunity
The Seattle Aquarium is a progressive, equal-opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce. They seek out employees who lead by example, acting with truth, sincerity, and fairness in all decisions, and have a positive, visionary view of their organization and its future.
Internship Programs: A Launchpad for Aspiring Professionals
The Seattle Aquarium internship program is designed for those with a strong desire to move into the Zoo/Aquarium field as a career path. These internships offer invaluable experience and a glimpse into the inner workings of a leading aquarium.
High School Internships: Get a Head Start
Several internship opportunities are available for high school students in the Puget Sound region:
- Paid Summer Internship: A paid internship program lasting 8-10 weeks during the summer for local Puget Sound high school students. This program offers an inside look into high-tech professions and helps build a strong resume.
- Teens In Public Service (TIPS): Teens In Public Service (TIPS) is now accepting applications from youth ages 15-19 years old and nonprofit organization in the greater Puget Sound region.
- Naturalist in Training Program: Ideal for high school students interested in working with kids in a natural setting. This program helps teens attain valuable leadership skills while meeting school service learning hour requirements.
- Volunteer Junior Staff Position: This program allows you to learn the challenges and rewards of being a Sealth staff member. As a volunteer junior staff member, you'll assist counselors, program specialists, and support staff while learning about all aspects of the job.
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- Lake Washington Watershed Internship: Offered at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, this year-long program assists teens in becoming informed stewards of their local community through mentoring, hands-on learning, restoration, and stream monitoring. Youth gain a greater understanding of the world around them while developing teaching and presentation skills, mentoring elementary-aged students about their local environment, and obtaining job experience.
- Youth Ocean Advocates: This program is open to students in grades 9-12. Potential Youth Ocean Advocates must attend one of informational sessions. After you attend the online informational session, you’ll receive an application to fill out and return to the Aquarium. The Seattle Aquarium will select individuals from the applicant pool to interview for the program.
Life Sciences Volunteers: Contributing to Animal Care
For those interested in working directly with animals, the Seattle Aquarium offers life sciences volunteer positions. All life sciences volunteers must complete new volunteer orientation and the new volunteer training series. The minimum time commitment required for life sciences volunteers is one four-hour shift per week for one continuous year. Shift times vary based on placement.
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- Birds and Mammals Tasks: Volunteers in this area clean and maintain bird and mammal habitats, prepare diets and vitamin supplementation, conduct animal observations, and perform other cleaning and sanitation tasks. They may assist with bird and mammal feedings, enrichment, and special projects on an as-needed basis under staff discretion and supervision only. No direct, physical animal contact or training of animal behaviors is permitted.
- Temperate Fish and Invertebrates Tasks: These volunteers clean and maintain fish and invertebrate habitats and back-of-house areas. They assist with feedings, enrichment, and special projects on an as-needed basis under staff direction and supervision only.
- Tropical Fish and Invertebrates Tasks: Similar to the temperate fish and invertebrates tasks, volunteers in this area clean and maintain fish and invertebrate habitats and back-of-house areas.
Exploring the Aquarium: A Visitor's Guide
The Seattle Aquarium offers a variety of exhibits and activities for visitors of all ages:
- Window on Washington Waters (Pier 59): Experience the marine life found in local waters, including the rocky reef and kelp forest ecosystem of the Salish Sea.
- Puppet Story Time (Puget Sound Hall, Pier 59): Enjoy tales about conservation, empathy, and the marine world in this 20-minute presentation.
- The Overlook, Ocean Pavilion: Meet the marine inhabitants of the Indo-Pacific and learn how the aquarium cares for such a diverse array of animals.
- Harbor Seal Habitat (Pier 60): Get to know the harbor seals that call the Seattle Aquarium home and learn about the most common marine mammals in the Salish Sea.
- The Archipelago, Ocean Pavilion: Discover the mangrove forest and coral lagoon and the plants and animals that create them.
- Marine Mammal Habitats (Pier 60): Observe a feeding at one of the marine mammal habitats, featuring harbor seals, sea otters, or northern fur seals.
- Northern Fur Seal Habitat (Pier 60): Learn more about Chiidax and Flaherty, the northern fur seals living at the Seattle Aquarium.
- Sea Otter Habitat (Pier 60): Get an introduction to the sea otters and learn how the aquarium cares for this iconic endangered species.
- Window on The Reef, Ocean Pavilion: Explore the lower depths of the largest tropical habitat, The Reef, and meet animals from the Coral Triangle, an area of extraordinary marine biodiversity.
Conservation Efforts: Protecting Our Marine Environment
The Seattle Aquarium is deeply committed to marine conservation, reflected in its mission, habitats, events, conservation and education programs, and research activities.
- ReShark: The Aquarium helped launch ReShark, a global coalition to restore endangered shark and ray populations, including over 70 nonprofit, academic, and government partners.
- Policy Advocacy: The Seattle Aquarium works to advance science-based policies to conserve and protect our marine environment.
- Honoring Place: The Aquarium acknowledges its role as a guest on the traditional and contemporary territories of the Coast Salish people and is committed to developing strong, long-lasting partnerships with Tribal Nations, urban Native peoples, and the Indigenous peoples of the Indo-Pacific.
A History of Inspiring Conservation
Opened in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium was initially operated by the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. In 2010, the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society assumed management, a model common among leading zoos and aquariums. The Seattle Aquarium is a premier resource for hands-on marine experiences and conservation education. Since its opening, it has hosted over 27 million visitors and provided marine conservation education to over two million school children. This makes it one of the top paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region.
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