Undergraduate Internship

IPHC Undergraduate Internship

Location:
Seattle, WA, USA Type:
Temporary MIN

EXPERIENCE:

Student

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking to hire an undergraduate or recently graduated intern for Summer 2026 to work at the IPHC Headquarters (HQ) located in Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Who May Apply:
Undergraduate students entering or in their fourth year of study at an accredited University or College OR recent graduates of a qualified undergraduate bachelor’s degree program who have graduated within the current academic year (2025/2026). Eligible fields of study include fisheries, marine biology, biology, ecology, environmental studies, fisheries oceanography, or other aquatic or biological-related science. Eligibility also extends to quantitative or computer sciences for candidates interested in applications to fisheries.

Overview

The Internship Program is designed to provide interns with exposure to a variety of tasks associated with the management of an international fisheries resource. Each intern is assigned a research project that involves work in the IPHC Biological Laboratory but that can also include work in other areas relevant to IPHC activities. The intern will work closely with a supervisor to ensure continuing progress toward work goals and with other staff members on the various tasks assigned.

Major duties and responsibilities

Work term may include but is not limited to:

• Work in the IPHC Biological Laboratory assisting in efforts to identify the sex of commercially landed Pacific halibut by genotyping;
• Work in the IPHC Otolith ageing laboratory learning otolith aging techniques, lab protocols, and the uses of determined ages;
• Contributing to the automatized ageing of otoliths using artificial intelligence (AI) and other AI applications across IPHC research activities;
• Assisting with compilation of fisheries data supporting management process;
• Assisting with dockside sampling on the U.S.A. West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska. Participating in field work on an IPHC research vessel;
• Assisting the Secretariat with other tasks as assigned;
• Reporting project results through a written report and an oral presentation to the Secretariat at the conclusion of the internship.

Qualifications

Required

Applicant must be in (or beginning) fourth year of undergraduate study at an accredited University or College OR must have graduated within the 2025/2026 academic year. Eligible fields of study include fisheries, marine biology, biology, ecology, environmental studies, fisheries oceanography, or other aquatic or biological-related science. Eligibility also extends to quantitative or computer sciences for candidates interested in applications to fisheries;

Applicant must possess good communication skills and enthusiasm for engaging in a range of assigned tasks. The role requires collaborating with other IPHC Secretariat team members in various roles. Applicant must be self-motivated and work well with limited supervision.

Must be proficient with MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook software;

Must be motivated and willing to work in various settings, including fishing ports and aboard IPHC chartered fishery-independent setline survey (FISS) vessel in the open ocean if the work includes these tasks;

A cold-water survival at sea course (scheduled and paid for by the IPHC after hire) must be completed prior to deployment on a research vessel. Basic swimming skills will be needed to successfully complete the course.

Preferred, but not required

Completion of at least one basic statistics course;

Previous experience in a laboratory setting (work or classroom);

Basic proficiency in programming, particularly in languages relevant to data analysis (e.g. R or Python);

Data collection experience in the field (work or classroom);

Previous education and/or experience in fisheries species identification and sampling protocols.

A note about field work
The work term may include sea and/or port activities. These are often the highlights of the internship but can also be challenging. At sea, the intern is typically one of three scientific personnel on board a chartered fishing vessel along with 5-6 professional vessel crew members. All applicants need to be aware that these vessels are relatively small, ranging in length from about 60 to 90 feet, and quarters tend to be cramped.

Although every individual has his/her own bunk space, the rooms containing the bunks are shared and may be co-ed. The vessels go to sea for several days at a time without coming to shore and the work at times can be physically challenging. Being able to lift live fish weighing up to 40 pounds without assistance is a necessary requirement for sea-duty.

Port work is typically conducted at processing plants located in somewhat remote locations in Alaska, British Columbia, or the U.S.A. West Coast. Close attention and compliance with plant safety protocols is a must. Being able to climb/descend ladders and lift 40-pound Pacific halibut without…