Environmental Quality Internships
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STUDENT INTERNSHIPS
through Environmental Discovery Awards Program 2026
Click HERE to Apply!
Suncoast Waterkeeper is offering two paid summer internship positions through the Environmental Discovery Awards Program 2026 (EDAP) focusing on Remote Sensing and Data Science and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
- $18 per hour
- 20 hours a week for 10 weeks
- May 26 - July 21 (dates flexible)
- On-site at 1760 Mound Street, Second Floor, Sarasota, FL
- Travel to New College of Florida and the Bahia Mar West Marina in Bradenton is required.
Students must enjoy working outside and be comfortable using technology to address environmental challenges.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Environmental Quality Internship with a focus on Remote Sensing and Data Science
The key activities are collecting, processing, and analyzing remotely sensed mangrove data. This position is ideal for a dynamic thinker who can solve problems quickly. Students must be in a data science program, enjoy working outside, and be comfortable using technology to address environmental challenges.
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Attend Mangrove Ranger training
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Lead team(s) of volunteers to collect mangrove data
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Collect, process, and analyze drone-based imagery surveyed by the 2026 Mangrove Ranger Program
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Manage and organize 2026 drone-based imagery
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Use Pix4D to process images and calculate metrics of health
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Ground-truth drone-based health metrics for mangroves through field analysis of tree height, diameter at breast height, and canopy cover.
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Manage data collected on mangrove health
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Use an R package to input field metrics and calculate a health score
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Compare drone-based health scores to field scores
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Draft a report interpreting the 2026 data, the ground-truthing results, and make suggestions for improving the program.
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Co-organize a World Mangrove Day volunteer appreciation and results reveal party
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Work collaboratively to share lessons learned about the impact of individual intern projects on broader conservation strategies.
Environmental Quality Internship with a focus on Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
The primary focus of this internship is to create maps and an interactive dashboard that visualize water quality data. This position is perfect for someone who enjoys turning spreadsheet data into compelling maps and appreciates the adventure of working outdoors in wetland environments. Students must be familiar with GIS, enjoy working outdoors, and be comfortable using technology to address environmental challenges
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Attend Mangrove Ranger Training
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Lead team(s) of volunteers to collect drone-based mangrove data
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Use ESRI's ArcGIS to create maps of water quality data
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Design a dashboard to visualize water quality data
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Manage data in Excel
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Explore new ways for visualizing water quality data
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Ground-truth drone-based health metrics for mangroves through field analysis of tree height, diameter at breast height, and canopy cover.
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Co-organize a World Mangrove Day volunteer appreciation and results reveal party
-
Work collaboratively to share lessons learned about the impact of individual intern projects on broader conservation strategies.
QUALIFICATIONS
Environmental Quality Intern, specializing in Remote Sensing and Data Science:
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Student majoring in Data Science or a related field
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Experience in programming languages such as Python or R, including experience with data preprocessing, statistical
analysis, and machine learning. -
Familiarity with remote sensing, image processing, and geospatial tools like ArcGIS or similar platforms.
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Familiarity with handling large datasets, including organization, cleaning, and integration with other data sources.
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Strong ability to identify datasets' patterns, trends, and anomalies and translate findings into actionable insights.
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Ability to document processes, prepare detailed reports, and present findings to technical and non-technical
audiences. -
Experience working collaboratively with teams to align goals and share insights.
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Demonstrated interest in environmental issues, particularly coastal ecosystems, and enthusiasm for applying data
science to support conservation efforts. -
Creativity and adaptability in addressing challenges related to predictive modeling and integrating diverse data types.
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Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs within a structured timeline.
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Enjoys outdoor and water-based work.
Environmental Quality Intern, specializing in GIS:
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Experience with data visualization, including creating charts, graphs, and dashboards
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Skilled in mapping data using GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS), especially overlaying field observations with satellite imagery
or land-use layers -
Proficient in Excel for data management and basic analysis
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Familiarity with handling large datasets, including organization, cleaning, and integration with other data sources.
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Strong ability to identify datasets' patterns, trends, and anomalies and translate findings into actionable insights.
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Ability to document processes, prepare detailed reports, and present findings to technical and non-technical
audiences. -
Experience working collaboratively with teams to align goals and share insights.
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Demonstrated interest in environmental issues, particularly coastal ecosystems.
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Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs within a structured timeline.
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Enjoys outdoor and water-based work.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
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The Environmental Quality Intern, specializing in Remote Sensing and Data Science, will gain practical experience
working with volunteers and staff in a nonprofit organization, applying remote sensing techniques, and engaging
in wetland ecology fieldwork. -
The Environmental Quality Intern specializing in Geographical Information Systems will gain practical experience
working with volunteers and staff at a nonprofit organization, applying GIS techniques, and engaging in wetland
ecology fieldwork.
Click HERE to Apply!
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