Aquarist Internship – Fall 2025
Job Description
Organization: SAVE THE BAY
Position Overview: Do you have a passion for marine biology? Looking to develop your skills in aquarium science? At Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium, interns build a foundation for a career in marine biology by participating in all aspects of running a hands-on aquarium, including animal husbandry, tank maintenance, and animal collection and release. Age: 16+
Location: Newport, RI at the Hamilton Family Aquarium
Transportation: Reliable transportation, STB’s aquarium is located in Newport, RI and is accessible by RIPTA (travel time 45 minutes via bus #60).
Schedule: Approximately September-December, 180 hours total. Weekly requirement is 2 full-day shifts (9:30am-4:30pm), though more is welcome. One weekend day may be required. Accepted interns must attend an orientation, dates TBD.
Application items: online application, cover letter and resume
Deadline: rolling interviews/acceptance, final decisions by August 25, 2025
What you will learn:
- General marine and freshwater animal care of species local to the Narragansett Bay and surrounding watershed
- Animal husbandry, including preparing diets, cleaning tanks, removing animal waste
- Life support system maintenance
- Water chemistry maintenance
- Organism collection and release in Narragansett Bay
What STB requires:
- Have a strong interest in maintaining and public aquariums
- Interested in or have basic knowledge of small marine and freshwater animal care techniques
- Must be willing and able to work indoors and outdoors
- Able to lift up to 45lbs regularly, occasionally up to 60lbs
- Creative, reliable, and flexible team member
- Prompt arrival for shifts in uniform provided by Save The Bay
- Undergo a criminal background check
- Able to follow communication procedures and promptly answer inquiries via phone or email
Details: We offer unpaid internship opportunities. STB will gladly work with your university if they offer college credit, stipend, or work study opportunities. Check out our Student Guide to Internship Funding for tips!
Volunteer at the Aquarium: Don’t have time for a full internship? Check out our aquarium volunteer opportunities!
Additional Details for ɫ Work Study Review
What they will learn:
- Marine biology of Narragansett Bay
- Gain the ability and confidence to perform animal care needs to support our mission, to protect and improve Narragansett Bay, at the Save The Bay Hamilton Family Aquarium.
- Learn ethical treatment of specimens within our nursery, breeding, rescue and rehabilitation programs including methods and techniques to capture new specimens and release specimens into the wild.
- Helping to design and improve existing exhibits
- Learn the role of life support systems in maintaining a balanced, stable marine and aquatic environment.
- Learn the functioning, maintenance and troubleshooting of a closed life support system at our one-of-a-kind state of the art facility.
- Learn techniques for the performance of animal care and management of Save The Bay’s collection of local Narragansett Bay species.
- How thoughtful management of specimens can enhance animal welfare, which includes the physical, psychological, and emotional health of our animals.
- All training is done by our trained aquarist staff on the job.
- There is also a mandatory orientation to go over work-related policies.
Specific duties
- Maintaining life support system equipment
- Scrubbing tanks
- Water changes
- Preparing food
- Field specimen collection
- Feeding animals
- Washing dishes
- Cleaning foot baths (bleach)
- Collecting specimens from coastal habitats (boat not required but a possibility)
- Performing water changes
- Preparing diets and feeding animals
- Transporting animals throughout the aquarium
- Mixing salt water (salt and water)
Training
- All incoming interns observe a trained staff member on all duties prior to preforming any duties. This includes any tools and equipment.
- Once the trainee feels comfortable, we have our trained staff observe them preforming the given tasks
- Once the trainee and trainer both believe that the task is being performed comfortably and correctly, they are able to perform the tasks with less supervision.
- All interns are shown where to find the following safety equipment and told when to use it:
- Fire extinguishers
- Protective gloves
- Protective eye wear
- Eye wash station
- Protective smocks
- First aid kits
Specific Equipment
- Kitchen knives
- Algae scrub brushes
- Wrenches
- Screw drivers
- Water pumps
- Lights
- Air pumps
- Water valves
- Nets
- Tongs
- Scales
- Mops
- Magnetic shrimp cleaning rod
- Ladders under 6 feet
- Siphon tubes
- Hand pull wagon
If you have a work study award and would like to earn your award through this position, fill out a community service work study interest form . Sign in, search “Community Engagement” in Organizations – once there, look on our page at “forms” for the interest form. Staff will receive your inquiry and contact you to schedule a referral.
You can also contact the Center for Engaged Learning at engage@rwu.edu or call 401-254-3765.
*Students are prohibited from driving during work-study employment with the limited exception of authorized work-study driver positions.