Natural Resources Job Board

The Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) has been working to protect endangered green and hawksbill turtles nesting at the Chagar Hutang Sea Turtle Sanctuary for over 30 years. SEATRU’s dedicated work to conserve one of Malaysia’s most important nesting sites has helped to increase the number of successful nests laid at Chagar Hutang to over 2,000 each year. Beyond monitoring nesting turtles and ensuring hatchlings emerge from their nests, SEATRU’s grassroots conservation efforts have helped to protect the natural beauty of this remote island location – think crescent-shaped palm-fringed beach, lush tropical jungle, and vibrant coral reefs. 

SEATRU's main goal is the long-term monitoring and conservation of nesting turtles at our Chagar Hutang site. We work closely with experienced local rangers to help guide our nesting beach monitoring programs. In addition, Chagar Hutang serves as a natural laboratory for postgraduate students and undergraduate interns to carry out a variety of independent research projects at the site. With over 2,000 nests laid at the beach between April and October each year, Chagar Hutang can be a busy place after dark, with mother turtles coming and going through all hours of the night. 

To help us locate every nest, SEATRU runs an annual volunteer program to assist our rangers with their nighttime turtle monitoring efforts. Once a week during the nesting season, different groups of volunteers join our project to live and work together, and to experience grassroots sea turtle conservation efforts and the local island lifestyle at our remote sea turtle sanctuary site. Our program’s volunteers come from diverse backgrounds throughout Malaysia and abroad and often share how their experiences at Chagar Hutang were a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event. 

Duties: 

Interns will work closely alongside SEATRU’s Conservation Rangers at Chagar Hutang to lead volunteer groups in collecting data on nesting sea turtles, marking nest sites, and performing nest checks to monitor the health of hatchlings and ensure their emergence success. Interns are responsible for correctly and accurately managing nesting data, including compiling nesting data from night patrol into handwritten logbooks at the research station. Interns help direct and assist volunteers in food preparation, station upkeep, and outdoor activities, like jungle trekking, kayaking, and snorkeling. Furthermore, SEATRU interns regularly engage with public tourists visiting the nesting beach for educational day trips or assist with school group camping trips. 

Interns will learn how to: 

·         Identify sea turtle tracks, including false crawls, nesting attempts, and successful nests. 

·         Measure a nesting turtle’s carapace, apply and read identification tags, and conduct photo ID. 

·         Mark a nest site, complete individual nesting data forms, and manage data records in the field. 

·         Excavate nests to inventory hatching and emergence success, and release baby sea turtles. 

·         Educate the public about the threats sea turtles face and how we can work to conserve them. 

·         Lead diverse groups of people, challenge themselves, and make new friends. 

Interns will receive preliminary training by SEATRU staff before the start of the internship, and support from rangers and staff throughout their stay. However, fieldwork can be strenuous. Night patrols require walking between nesting turtles across soft beach sands. During the day, there is the risk of sun exposure as Malaysia is a tropical country, with hot and humid weather conditions, frequent showers, and thunderstorms. 

Private same-sex housing is provided for interns at the Chagar Hutang Research Station, however, the kitchen, office and common-use areas are open to the surrounding environment, including the insects, geckos, and spiders that live there. Chagar Hutang's pristine natural environment is also home to many beautiful birds, curious monkeys, and unique species of snakes and lizards. Furthermore, Chagar Hutang's coral reefs host a multitude of colorful and diverse tropical fish, friendly reef sharks, and resident turtles. 

 

Requirements: 

·         College students or recent graduates who are responsible, adaptable, motivated to learn, and passionate about marine conservation. 

·         Must be able to perform physically demanding work, including but not limited to walking long distances in soft sand, handling high temperatures, humidity, stormy weather, and insects, withstanding exposure to intense sunlight, kneeling and digging in hot/heavy/wet sand, and carrying up to 30 lbs. 

·         A commitment to participate in the program for at least 8 weeks, though longer (12-16 weeks) is preferred. 

·         International applicants must have or obtain a valid passport and purchase international travel insurance to cover the duration of their time in Malaysia. 

·         A minimum of 18 years of age and engaged in or recently completed undergraduate studies. 

 

Benefits/Costs: 

There is no direct compensation for the SEATRU internship position. However, interns may receive a small stipend depending on their overall performance at the end of their internship period. Interns will be responsible for their transportation, international and domestic, to SEATRU’s office located at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu in Kuala Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Transportation to and from the Chagar Hutang Research Station on Redang Island, as well as room and board while staying at the station, will be compensated by SEATRU. 

 

Application/Contact Information: 

To apply, please email your cover letter, detailing your interest in a Sea Turtle Conservation Internship position with SEATRU, along with your resume or CV and two references’ contact information to turtle@umt.edu.my.