Summer 2026: Specific Opportunities

What: YOA "Currents" level summer session. Volunteer throughout the Aquarium interpreting exhibits, attend marine science classes, behind-the-scenes tours, field trips. The new Ocean Pavilion expansion opens this summer.

Contact: YOA@seattleaquarium.org

Action: Submit interest form immediately.

What: Hands-on environmental restoration, leadership guiding volunteers, certified water quality monitoring, learning about killer whale/salmon habitat/native vegetation. Possible field trip to San Juan Island.

Action: Mark calendar for Feb 27. Prepare application materials now.

What: Conservation work at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges. Trail maintenance, habitat restoration, facility projects. 8-10 weeks during summer.

Action: Apply immediately to multiple WA sites. Need state work permit.

What: 4-week lab research program. Biochemistry, immunology, gene editing, microscopy, PCR, gel electrophoresis. Independent research project. College readiness workshops. Not marine-specific, but lab techniques are directly transferable.

Deadline: March 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT (letters of rec due March 29)

Action: Apply before March 8. Competitive — only 24 spots.

What: Youth leadership at NOAA Sand Point Facility in Seattle. Mentor younger campers, deploy buoys in Lake Washington, tours of NOAA facilities, career networking with NOAA scientists covering fisheries, marine mammals, oceanography, habitat restoration.

Action: Check website in March for registration opening.

What: Field & Lab Research (June 21-July 17) and Ecology & Conservation (July 19-August 1). Connect with mentors in marine science in a maritime setting.

Action: Visit website now for application details and costs.

What: Paid conservation jobs: trail building, invasive species management, environmental education. 35 hours/week with two adult Crew Leaders across western Washington.

Action: Check back in spring 2026.

What: Multi-week residential conservation crews in national forests/parks/wilderness across OR/WA/ID. Also "Sound to Summit" program for South Puget Sound teens — culminates in climbing Mount Rainier.

Action: Check for 2026 enrollment dates.

• Marine Naturalist Training: Summer hybrid session July 7-11 (virtual) + July 24-26 (in-person). Registration open NOW.
• Docent volunteering: Year-round, daily hours. Tell visitors about the Salish Sea.
• Stranding Network: Respond to marine mammal strandings, assist with necropsies. Spring training.

Contact: info@whalemuseum.org | (360) 378-4710 ext. 1030

Saturday youth volunteer program. Aquarium interpretation, marine animal care (wolf eels, octopi), salmon and jellyfish rearing, marine mammal stranding team.

Open Saturdays 10am-2pm year-round, Sundays 12-4pm July-August.

Action: Contact directly to sign up.

Marine Mammal Stewards beach naturalist program. In-person training in early June.

Teen volunteer program (ages 14-18). Currently on waitlist — sign up for notification.

Contact: volunteer@pdza.org | 253-404-3687

Teen volunteer program. Not currently accepting applications — sign up for email alerts.

Ecological restoration across Puget Sound. Ages 14-17 can participate independently with signed waiver. No commitment — show up when you can.

Docent at Port Angeles Discovery Center, beach cleanups, whale identification, water quality monitoring.

Native oyster bed restoration, pinto abalone recovery, kelp forest restoration. Based on Bainbridge Island.

Seasonal hatchery volunteering (Hood Canal and Orcas Island). River surveys, salmon tagging, embryo collection. Contact to confirm age requirements.

Student Training as Research Scientists: 5-day boat-based research adventure through San Juan Islands with overnight camping.

Scholarships available (apply by March 15).

What: Sail as crew aboard a 134-foot tall ship. Deploy oceanographic sampling equipment, collect plankton and water samples, whale monitoring. 3 days on SEA campus, then 10+ days living aboard the ship. Cape Cod Bay, Stellwagen Bank, Gulf of Maine.

2026 Dates: June 14-25, June 30-July 11, July 17-25

Deadline: Rolling. $300 deposit within 2 weeks of acceptance.

Status: STILL OPEN

What: Earn Cornell University credit on a remote island 6 miles offshore. Courses: Marine Environmental Science, Biology of Sharks/Skates/Rays, Marine Vertebrates. Rocky intertidal exploration, seal/seabird colony visits, oceanographic equipment deployment. Faculty ratio 1:5 to 1:8.

Deadline: Rolling (reviewed in order received). Scholarship priority date: February 19, 2026.

Status: OPENING NOW — courses fill fast

What: 160+ hours: lectures, lab investigations, field explorations, trawling aboard 65-foot research vessel, salt marsh ecology, beach profiling, reef fishing. Earn 1 college credit. Only 30 students accepted.

Deadline: Registration opened Feb 2. Only 30 spots — fills quickly.

Status: OPEN — likely filling fast

What: Three-tiered curriculum with Scripps Institution of Oceanography mentors (Aburto Lab). Science communication + potential publication in Marine Science Research Scholars Journal. Hawaii program includes ecological restoration on O'ahu.

Deadline: May 30, 2026 (rolling, may close early if full)

Note: UCSD Academic Connections has been CANCELED for summer 2026. Research Scholars is the replacement.

What: Intensive 2-week program combining physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanography. Lab write-ups, group projects. Located next to Acadia National Park. Option to earn 4 University of Maine credits. Completers receive $10,000/year scholarship to College of the Atlantic.

Status: OPEN

What: 6-week field and laboratory research at Lamont-Doherty. Nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, invasive species. Research posters and presentations. Mentored by Columbia scientists.

What: Week-long residential field research institute at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

Action: Contact for 2026 dates and application.

What: Marine science using snorkeling/SCUBA on the only living coral reef in the continental US. Kayaking, lab experiences, sailing.

What: Dolphin ecology, plankton tow/microscopy aboard a vessel, shorebird/shell ID, encounters with alligators/tortoises. Faculty from Eckerd's #1-ranked Florida marine science program.

What: Coastal ecosystem exploration, state-of-the-art wet lab with flowing seawater. Rocky intertidal, tidal pools, salt ponds, barrier beaches.

What: TAG (Talented & Gifted) programs: Marine Biology Research, Ichthyology, Marine Engineering. Research vessels, oceanographic equipment, lab facilities. Trawling, seine netting, plankton collection.

What: Conservation efforts, dissection workshops, labs. Activities at Duke Marine Lab. Earn American University credit.

What: Work alongside volunteers at Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue Center (NC). Hawaii: shadow marine biologists at Sea Life Park. Earn 25 community service hours.

What: Hands-on research with PhD-level marine biologists. SCUBA certifications, coral reef restoration. Earn 1-3 Lesley University credits. Groups of 8-12.

What: Work alongside professional scientists: catch/tag sharks in Belize (Dr. Jessica Quinlan), track sharks/rays in Florida (Dr. Demian Chapman), study ocean acidification in Acadia NP. 8 days each.

What: Live aboard 46-foot catamarans. Marine biology research on reefs, 4 diving certifications, underwater photography, sailing training.

Contact: 941-924-6789

What: Biodiversity surveys alongside experienced field biologists. Indonesia: coral reef restoration using MARRS reef star technology, 30 years of data. Contributions to scientific publications.

What: Work in clinical setting at May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Wildlife studies at Elk Valley Preserve. Intro wildlife biology and veterinary science.