Abstract

The need for in-country marine conservationists and researchers is pivotal to an archipelagic country such as The Bahamas. Due to this, the need for the ongoing output of marine conservationists is crucial. One of the main goals of the Community Conservation Education & Action (CCEA) unit, of the Perry Institute for Marine Science, is to prioritize this need by addressing it directly via local capacity building via the internship program, open to tertiary students and recent tertiary graduates. In this project, we analyzed the current effects that the internship program has had on current and former interns by finding out what interns found most valuable along with the perceived impact on their interest and passion in pursuing a career in the field of marine conservation. The Perry Institute for Marine Science has facilitated a total of 27 interns, mainly summer interns. The results displayed a general increase in their practical skills. There has also been indication that the internship program has had a relatively high personal, academic and occupational impact on the participants. Next steps include progress tracking to gain the current perception of participants. Providing support and hands-on experience plays a huge role in the occupational outcome of students. It has noted that offering this support and foundation not only encourages students to continue to pursue their studies in the field of marine science but students are also given an opportunity to exercise those skills in the real world.