This opportunity is curated through the UF TESI Environmental Leaders Network. Opportunities posted through the Network may not be affiliated with the Florida Museum or TESI, but are shared with UF undergraduate students who want to learn more about environmental research, education and outreach, and civic engagement.
Host Organization
Location
Cayo Santiago, near Puerto Rico
Type of position
- Paid internship
- $25 per day stipend
- Housing in the coastal town of Punta Santiago is provided
- Travel to and from Puerto Rico (from anywhere in the continental United States) is covered
Position description
A team of interns will assist in non-invasive data collection for an ongoing study of rhesus macaque physiology and behavior. Primary duties will include collection of biological samples (feces and urine) from the free-ranging monkeys. This will involve spending approximately 7.5 hours per day on the island (5 days per week), observing the monkeys in their natural habitat, and collecting both urine and fecal samples from the monkeys opportunistically. Interns must be willing to commit to the full internship duration, which requires a minimum of 4 months commitment, with a start date in early January 2024.
FIELD SITE: Cayo Santiago, an island 1 km off the coast of Puerto Rico, is a research field station home to approximately 1600 rhesus macaques. The monkeys currently living on Cayo Santiago are all the direct descendants of 409 monkeys who were brought to the island in 1938. Monkeys roam freely on the island and naturally separate themselves into social groups. Today, researchers from universities around the world conduct fieldwork focused on a range of disciplines including evolutionary ecology, anthropology, and psychology. The colony is run and maintained by the Caribbean Primate Research Center and the University of Puerto Rico.
Qualifications
- Ability to work independently, as well as be a positive and contributing member of a group
- Ability to work in physically challenging conditions, including standing for the majority of the day (up to 8 hours) under hot conditions with minimal shade, and walking across uneven and steep terrain
- Willingness to work in close contact with free-ranging monkeys, which requires both vigilance as well as confidence around wild animals
- Tolerance to collecting both feces and urine samples
- Sincere interest in biological anthropology, animal behavior, primatology, ecology, veterinary sciences, or another related field
- Applicant must be a US citizen or permanent resident and a minimum of 18 years of age
- Proof of full Covid vaccination and willingness to submit a health questionnaire is required
Start Date
01/07/2024
End Date
May 2024 (flexible)
Application Due
10/15/2023
To apply:
To apply, please email a single pdf document titled “CayoApplication_YOURNAME” which contains: a cover letter (maximum 2 pages), your resume, and the contact details of two professional references to Dr. Eve Cooper (eve.cooper@nyu.edu) before October 16th. Please specify in your cover letter the earliest date in January 2024 that you are able to start, and how many continuous months you are able to commit to this internship. Please also confirm in your cover letter that you are a US citizen or permanent resident. This internship is part of a collaborative research project led by Dr. James Higham (New York University), Dr. Lauren Brent (University of Exeter), and Dr. Noah Snyder-Mackler (Arizona State University).
Website
Contact:
Dr. Eve Cooper, eve.cooper@nyu.edu