Overview

Earn your PADI Coral Reef Restoration Diver (CRRD) Distinctive Speciality, gain work experience in marine conservation AND get career training from Conservation Careers!

Start your career in ocean conservation with an internship in Mexico. You’ll be introduced to coral reef research techniques and participate in basic coral reef health monitoring such as using Coral Watch surveys. You’ll also have the opportunity to conduct coral restoration activities, while running other marine conservation initiatives like plastic cleanups and environmental awareness programs.

Join our international team located on Mexico’s Caribbean coast to gain experience in marine conservation and start your career in the field. The team here work with local authorities to protect the unique habitat of the Marine Biosphere Reserve of the Mexican Caribbean home to unique habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and Mexico’s famously magical cenotes.

Your internship will start with you mastering the diving and underwater survey techniques needed to conduct coral reef surveys which are accurate and don’t harm the reef. Our experienced instructors will support you all the way while you work toward earning your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate. Receive the PADI Coral Reef Restoration Diver (CRRD) Distinctive Specialty. This unique offering by our partner and PADI advances your diving skills, allowing you to participate in coral restoration projects. This is offered to participants that join for 4 weeks or longer.

Once your training is complete you will work with other participants to help monitor assigned sections of the reef. Depending on the duration of your stay you will learn about how to identify fish, coral, and other marine life as well as how this data is used by local authorities to make decisions about conservation. You might also assist our local partners with their ongoing coral restoration project by either growing coral fragments in laboratory conditions, maintaining the reef coral nursery, or transplanting these coral fragments onto parts of the reef.

You will also participate in a range of other initiatives designed to work toward achieving the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. Some of these include ocean floor and beach cleanups and the subsequent recording of the plastic collected for later data analysis, sea turtle monitoring, environmental awareness workshops with local students, community groups, businesses and tourists. Please note that these activities don´t run all year long as they are locally driven and it depends on the needs of our local partners.

Throughout the internship, you will learn about the importance of engaging local communities to ensure that marine conservation initiatives have long-lasting positive results. Reflecting this reality, you will not only master technical diving and marine research skills on this internship but also have the opportunity to practise your interpersonal skills.

Highlights

  • Support marine conservation. Gain essential marine conservation skills, including coral reef surveying and coral restoration strategies.
  • Explore the Barrier Reef. Dive into the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea and experience the breathtaking coral ecosystem of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
  • Get hands-on experience. Get broad exposure to a variety of conservation fieldwork projects and training opportunities to grow your skills.
  • Contribute to vital research. Support a team of scientists and academics with ongoing, cutting-edge research that gets published and makes an impact.
  • Work for real partners. Work on a real project for a conservation partner to address critical environmental issues in the area.
  • Stand out from the crowd. Participate in practical training sessions to develop your leadership skills and receive guidance from experienced mentors.
  • Advance your career. Gain international experience, receive four recognised qualifications and get a LinkedIn reference to boost your CV.
  • Live in remote habitats. Travel off the beaten track to live and work on a research station in the wild. Get exclusive access to protected species and unique ecosystems.

Our Award-winning Partner

Conservation Careers has teamed up with an award-winning, mission-driven organisation with a team of passionate experts across the globe who will make your experience a truly unforgettable one.

Founded in 1998, they run programs in 21 locations, in 13 countries around the world, each aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the objectives of local partners. They welcome participants from all around the world and help facilitate their development into global citizens. This is how they achieve their mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Their commitment to running high-quality sustainable development and experiential education programs has earned them recognition from numerous organizations such as Panthera, the Seychelles Parks & Gardens Authority, as well as Stanford, NYU, Duke, and Ohio State.

If you register your interest below, you’ll put you in touch with our partner to take the booking and to plan your trip!

Explore all our Conservation Careers Internship opportunities.

Location and life on base

Our Puerto Morelos research station – where you’ll take part in project work – is located 80 metres from the beach. Your accommodation – where you’ll hang out, sleep and eat – is located 15 minutes by car, 45 minutes by bike or 90 minutes on foot from the beach. One of the best-kept secrets in the Yucatan, the small town of Puerto Morelos is incredibly safe and has a laid-back vibe with a friendly and welcoming local community. There are no big resorts or casinos here.

Mexico, while culturally diverse, is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

From mariachi bands to Mayan temples, Mexico is best known for being the birthplace of the iconic taco. Puerto Morelos is the oldest port community in the Mexican Caribbean. Home to the northernmost tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the second largest barrier reef in the world), Puerto Morelos is a spectacular diving location. You’ll spot sea turtles and various rays – from the famous Caribbean stingray to the spotted eagle ray. If mammals are more your thing, West Indian manatees have been seen and a pod of bottlenose dolphins are frequent visitors. The mangroves offer the chance to see a variety of animals and waterbirds, including protected species like the American crocodile.

Your typical day includes diving, lab work, training on base, beach cleanups and community work. Rounded off with evening debriefs followed by dinner and time to relax – taking in a beautiful sunset, and sharing stories with your fellow team members.

On weekends, participants enjoy free time until Sunday dinner at the base. Local fun includes games, movies, beach time and beach volleyball. The base has kayaks and SUPs that participants can use in their free time under the supervision of a staff member. There are also 5 bicycles that participants can use. Getting around is easy with affordable public options, taxis, or bike rentals (30 – 100 USD/month).

Activities

Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.

  • Fieldwork training. Learn how to identify coral reef species, conduct surveys and collect data to help build a research inventory of marine species in the Mexican Caribbean.
  • Conservation surveys. Applying standardised data collection protocols, you will assist in underwater surveys of key indicator species of the coral reef ecosystem.
  • Conservation project work. Contribute to additional research: coral restoration, king crab reintroduction, megafauna monitoring, lionfish surveys, and community outreach.
  • Leadership training. Learn how to plan and set team goals, create supportive team environments, and reflect on your own leadership style.
  • Leadership responsibilities. Take on additional responsibilities such as entering data, writing reports and summaries, and updating species lists and fieldwork checklists.
  • Personal project. Work on an individual project that aligns with your personal interests.
  • Mentorship. Meet weekly in a small group with other interns and an experienced mentor to receive project guidance and feedback on your leadership style.
  • PADI Open Water. Learn or improve scuba-diving skills through theory, confined water, and open water dives (applicable to programs over 8 weeks).
  • PADI Advanced Open Water. Gain more diving experience and try different types of dives: deep, navigation, buoyancy, naturalist, night, search, recovery and boat diving.
  • PADI Emergency First Response. Learn 9 primary care skills and 4 secondary care skills in theory. Apply them in role-playing scenarios to prepare you to assist in an emergency.
  • CRRD Distinctive Speciality. Advance your diving skills with this unique speciality to be able to participate in coral restoration projects. Available for 4+ week participants.
  • PADI Rescue Diver. Increase your diver safety awareness, handle complex situations, and practise interventions via rescue scenarios (available on 8+ week programs).

Skills

  • Data entry
  • EFR training
  • Marine conservation
  • PADI
  • Species identification
  • Survey research
  • Leadership
  • Project management
  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity
  • Resiliency
  • Time management
  • Volunteering
  • Cultural awareness
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Easily adaptable

BONUS! Conservation Career Kick-Starter online training programme (worth $495 / £375 / €450)

Do you want to spend your career helping wildlife to flourish, but are feeling a little lost, confused or disillusioned?

Start your career in wildlife conservation with a unique programme of training, support community & jobs from Conservation Careers!

The Conservation Career Kick-Starter is a proven step-by-step system to get you hired quicker as a professional conservationist.

The Kick-Starter is trusted by over 2,500 people, and 40 universities, with 99% ratings. Whether you’re at university and planning your next steps, a graduate in the job hunt or working in an unrelated job but interested to switch into conservation, this course is designed to help you.

After going through the course, you’ll have created a personal career plan which will give you confidence in your job hunt and will make everything quicker, simpler and more fun!

All you need to do is register your interest in the project below, and if you choose to make a booking we’ll save a place for you on the Kick-Starter when you get back from your placement.

Included with the Kick-Starter is a year’s full-access to the world’s biggest conservation job board with over 15,000 jobs, plus access to our private online support community, CC Pro.

Dates, duration and cost

Register your interest below to learn about start dates, duration and costs.

What’s included

General
  • Food
  • Safe and basic accommodation (usually shared)
  • Airport pick up (unless stated)
  • All project equipment
  • 24-hour in-country support from local staff
  • 24-hour emergency desk
  • Experiences

Activities

  • Sustainable project work
  • Data collection and research
  • Leadership responsibilities
  • Personal project

Mentorship

  • Weekly group sessions
  • Internship supervisor guidance

Pre-program training

  • Pre-departure webinar
  • Pre-departure training (online)
  • University of Richmond endorsed specialisation course
  • University of Richmond endorsed leadership course

Welcome training

  • Welcome presentation
  • Health & safety
  • Local culture & environment
  • UN SDGs
  • Impact & ethics
  • Child protection

What’s excluded

  • Flights
  • International and domestic airport taxes
  • Medical and travel insurance
  • Visa costs
  • Police or background check
  • Personal items and toiletries
  • Personal items and toiletries

Reserve your place or ask a question