Internship

Internship: Size structure of Caribbean spiny lobster in different habitat types on the Saba Bank

The main fishery on the Saba Bank is the trap fishery for Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), which holds significant economic value for the local island population. Over the last two decades, concerns about the impact of the fishery on its main stocks have been raised, particularly the declining trend of lobster catch per unit effort in the early 2000’s. In response to these concerns, a fisheries monitoring program was established in 2011 to provide a basis for scientific advice and management. In addition to this, gaining insights into the distribution of different life stages and size classes of the Caribbean spiny lobster would prove valuable to better understand the stock dynamics.

Goals

The objective of this research is to investigate the relative abundance and size structure of the Caribbean spiny lobsters across different habitats in the Saba Bank by:

  • Deploying and collecting lobster traps in key habitats using a standardized protocol to ensure consistent data collection.
  • Analyze the collected data to compare lobster abundances and size structures across different habitats, using statistical methods
  • Evaluate the importance of different habitats for different life stages of lobsters.

Expectations and Benefits

  • The intern will conduct their project during the calendar year of 2025, working in the field for 2-3 months. After that the student will focus on data processing, statistics and report writing.
  • Stipends will be provided for the duration of the internship.
  • Scientific guidance will be offered by experts from Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) and the Saba Conservation Foundation.

We are seeking a student who

  • Is enrolled in Master program relating to Marine biology, Ecology or related studies.
  • Possesses excellent data organization and analysis skills.
  • Can work independently and collaboratively.
  • Is not prone to sea sickness.
  • Can start mid-August 2025 and commit to at least 6 months.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and short cover letter, no more than 250 words to owen.clements@wur.nl and sanne.mooij@wur.nl. Please indicate your interest in the lobster survey internship and your availability for the specified period.