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Marine Conservation Internship in Indonesia: What It’s Really Like

Marine Conservation Internship in Indonesia: What It’s Really Like

Internships aren’t just about padding your CV. At Indo Coral Conservation, they’re about rolling up your sleeves, getting wet, and learning what marine conservation really looks like in the field. No sugarcoating, just reef work, community engagement, and a whole lot of coral rubble.

🌱 Doing, Not Watching

Marine conservation sounds exciting, but for most interns, it starts with sweat, sand, and a good pair of gloves. Indo Coral isn’t about flashy reef dives. It’s about planting coral fragments, gathering data, and working with our local community in Gili Matra Marine National Park.

🧠 Learn by Impact

Interns join us not to spectate, but to contribute. You’ll learn coral taxonomy, help monitor reef health. And yes, it’s a lot of learning (a good fit for the one with a thirst of knowledge).

🌊 A Week in the Field

Every week ends with hands sore, wetsuits crusty, and minds filled with hard-won marine science. If that’s your kind of impact, welcome aboard.

🔗 Useful Links

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What is BRUV – Baited Remote Underwater Video method?

A camera is placed on the seafloor with bait positioned in front. It records fish that come to investigate over a set time. Footage is reviewed later to identify species and behavior. It’s a passive method like setting a camera trap for marine life.

In short: BRUV = film fish attracted to bait, then analyze the video later.

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What is UVC – Underwater Visual Census method?

Divers swim along a transect line and visually record all fish seen within a defined area. They note species, size, and numbers during the dive. It’s a live fish count. Like taking attendance in a moving classroom.

In short: UVC = spot and count fish by eye while swimming the transect.

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What is Belt Transect method?

A measuring tape is laid out along the reef. In our case divers count all visible invertebrates (e.g. sea cucumbers, starfish) within a set belt width usually 1 or 2 meters. They record species and numbers while swimming slowly along the line. It’s a wide-area visual count like sweeping a corridor for invertebrates.

In short: Belt = count all invertebrates within a set zone along the tape.

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What is 3D Coral Monitoring method?

Divers take multiple photos of coral structures from different angles. Photos are processed using software to build a 3D model of the coral. This model shows shape, size, and changes over time. It’s like creating a digital twin of the coral to track its growth.

In short: 3D = capture coral from all sides, then build a model to monitor changes.

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What is UPT – Underwater Photo Transect method?

A measuring tape is also laid out along the reef. Instead of recording points manually, divers take overlapping photos along the line. These images are later analyzed on a computer to assess coverage and species. It’s a visual capture method like scanning the reef with a camera for later analysis.

In short: UPT = record the whole transect with photos, then analyze later.

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What is PIT – Point Intercept Transect method?

A measuring tape is laid out along the reef. Divers record what’s directly under specific points at fixed intervals (e.g. every 10 cm). It’s a manual, visual sampling method. Like checking what’s beneath each tick mark on a ruler. Data is written down underwater, point by point.

In short: PIT = record what’s under each point by eye, underwater.