Turtle Island Announces Cocos Island Conservation Scholarship

SCHOLARSHIP: Turtle Island Announces Cocos Island Conservation Scholarship

Scholarship offered for December 2018 Expedition

With support of our Volunteer Expedition divers, marine wildlife protection organization Turtle Island Restoration Network has created a space for a person beginning or early in his or her marine conservation career to participate from December 7 – 17, 2018 on a ten-day shark and sea turtle tagging expedition to Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica.

This scholarship covers the $6,248 cost for the actual expedition aboard the Argos — all food, shared lodging, tank refills, (plus rental equipment and Nitrox certification if needed, donated by the UnderSea Hunter), but does not include additional expenses of travel to Costa Rica including at least one night in hotel or other personal expenses. We are interested in extending this opportunity to early career marine conservationists who otherwise would not be able to afford to participate.

The person will be chosen based on their submitted letter, which should include:
– Why you are a good candidate (experience in marine conservation, volunteer history, professional plans, etc.)
– Financial need
– Any specific research project you might want to conduct while there (not required)
– Your interest and ability to communicate to the public about your participation, before and after the expedition

Qualifications:

• Applicants can be from any region of the globe.
• Applicants should be a student or at an early stage of their career in marine conservation. The opportunity is not limited to biology or oceanography students or practitioners, but may include activists, educators, journalists, etc.
• Applicants must be in good health and comfortable swimming in the presence of sharks.
• Applicants must be certified in scuba, preferably with advanced certification and significant dive experience.
• Applicants must be or willing to become certified in Nitrox (which can be accomplished on-board). More information on the Cocos expedition can be found here: www.seaturtles.org/expeditions.