Applications are now open for three (3) internship opportunities for candidates from developing States, Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The placements are provided by the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) in accordance with its obligations under its contracts for exploration for polymetallic sulphides (PMS) with ISA.
The three internship opportunities are divided as follows:
- One (1) internship (Environmental Studies)
- Two (2) internships (Meioscool Workshop 2023 – meiofauna taxonomy)
1. One (1) internship (Environmental Studies)
The internship will take place within the deep-sea ecosystems studies laboratory of Ifremer, in Brest, for a duration of two months (approximately from May to June 2023).
The internship will focus on the characterization and distribution mapping of the macrofauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at inactive vent sites and their periphery, based on the analysis of video footage acquired during the HERMINE 2 exploration cruise in 2022. At the start of the internship, the candidate will receive a short training in macrofauna taxonomy and image analysis.
The activities of the internship will include:
- Review and analysis of the Hermine 2 videos acquired around inactive sites.
- Labelling of the macrofauna captured in the videos;
- Mapping the distribution of the different species based on the video analysis and annotation; and
- Analysis of distribution trends and correlations with substratum type, and distance from active and inactive vents.
As a minimum requirement, candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree-level education (preferably in natural sciences) and should be enrolled in a first master’s level course (or equivalent) in biology, preferably in marine biology, biodiversity and ecology or molecular biosciences. Candidates must be proficient in either English of French (both written and spoken).
Please visit this link for more information and to apply. Applications by qualified candidates should be received no later than 31 January 2023. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
2. Two (2) internships (Meioscool Workshop 2023 – meiofauna taxonomy)
These internship placements are for participation in Meioscool 2023 which will take place in “Palma de Majorque” (Spain) from 26 -30 June 2023, for a duration of 5 days.
The objective of this workshop is to gain the basic theoretical and practical skills required to process samples and identify taxa of the benthic meiofauna. The aim of MeioScool is to bring together meiofauna experts, researchers and students from around the globe, to:
- Train the next generation of meiobenthologists by providing training on the identification and description of different meiofaunal groups; and
- Exchange knowledge on the biology, evolution and ecology of meiofauna.
The session in 2023 will also focus on image acquisition and automatized identification with theoretical and practical activities. Among the preliminary program, the different experts will supervise on-board and field sampling, taxonomical analyses, images acquisition on several groups of organisms (nematodes, copepods, foraminifera, kinorhyincha, polychaetes, Loricifera). Finally, there will be a specific activity on outreach and science communication.
As a minimum requirement, candidates should hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Environment, 3-year technical degree in marine environment or an equivalent qualification. Candidates must be proficient in either English (both written and spoken).
Please visit this link for more information and to apply. Applications by qualified candidates should be received no later than 20 February 2023. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
One of the Voluntary Commitments registered by ISA at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference (#OceanAction 40768). and reiterated in 2022 was ‘Enhancing the role of Women in Marine Scientific Research through Capacity Building’ – As partner of the Women in Deep-Sea Research project (WIDSR), IFREMER has pledged to allocate 50% of the training opportunities to qualified women applicants.
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All contractors with ISA have a legal obligation to provide and fund training opportunities for personnel from developing States and those of ISA.
The legal basis for the requirement stems from the provisions of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement and is set out in the standard terms of contracts. Its purpose is to ensure that personnel from developing States are provided with appropriate operational expertise to enable them to participate in deep-seabed mining.
Please visit this page to know more about the Contractor Training Programme.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Annekah Mason, Training Coordinator, ISA, training@isa.org.jm