Volunteer and Student Opportunities

Explore diverse opportunities to gain hands-on experience in marine conservation. Whether through the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries or other leading organizations across Hawaiʻi, we are dedicated to empowering the next generation of ocean stewards through impactful local projects.

Opportunities Within Papahānaumokuākea:

• NOAA Fisheries - Monk Seal and Sea Turtle Research
• Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project
• Kure Atoll Conservancy
• USFWS Midway Atoll Volunteer Program

Volunteer Opportunities in the Main Hawaiian Islands:

• ʻĀkoʻakoʻa
• Coral Reef Alliance
• Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
• Hawaiʻi Land Trust
• Hawaiʻi Wai Ola
• Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center
• Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund
• Hollings Undergraduate Outreach Docent at events or any of our Discovery Centers, located in:
  • Kīhei, Maui
  • Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi
  • Hilo, Hawaiʻi
  • Honolulu, Oʻahu
• Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center
• Kuleana Coral Restoration
• Paepae o Heʻeia
• Sanctuary Ocean Count
• Sustainable Coastlines
• Mālama Maunalua
• Marine Mammal Center
• Maui Ocean Center
• Ocean Defenders
• Waikīkī Aquarium

Student Internships and Fellowships

• Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship
• Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship
• Kupu
• PIFSC PYSO/Hōkūala Kīkaha Kai Program
• IN FISH
• QUEST Scientific Diver Program
• Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) Undergraduate Internships
• UH Hilo Keaholoa STEM Scholars Program

Download Student Opportunities Flyer

More NOAA Opportunities

NOAA and several organizations throughout the area offer internships for students. Each opportunity has different qualifications, requirements, and application processes.

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers participate in a wide variety of activities including diving, whale identification, beach cleanups, water quality monitoring, collecting field observations and surveys, acting as visitor center docents, and wildlife monitoring.

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Citizen Science Programs

Citizen science volunteers work with scientists to identify research questions, collect and analyze data, interpret results, make new discoveries, develop technologies,and solve compplex problems.

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding scholarship and encourages independent graduate level research particularly by female and minority students in NOAA mission-related sciences of oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology, including all science, engineering, and resource management of ocean and coastal areas.

Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program

Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship during the summer at a NOAA facility.

NOAA Student Opportunities Database

For more information about the many educational opportunities for students (K-12, undergraduate, graduate) throughout NOAA.