Coursework in marine biology need not be your only academic interest while at URI. Many opportunities to get your hands wet are available, as are exchange and study away program.

A night-time underwater scene in Narragansett Bay. Photo by H. Wes Pratt.

Faculty research at the Smithsonian research station in Belize

You can learn about internships from the Office of Internships and Experiential Education. Marine Biology students have gained experience through a wide variety of hands-on, semester long internships. The Mystic Marinelife Aquarium and the New England Aquarium and the Roger Williams Park Zoo have welcomed many URI interns. Students also have gained valuable work experience at federal and state agencies such as the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Research experience, and academic credit, can be arranged with any one of the faculty members of the Department of Biological Sciences. Students who have done this in the past have worked on a wide range of topics, including the molecular genetics of slipper shells, the functional morphology of shark feeding, and the demographics of intertidal crab populations. Marine biology students may also “intern” at the Graduate School of Oceanography where they can earn a full semester of credit for research in one of GSO’s laboratories.

Study Abroad and Bermuda and Portsmouth Programs
Many marine biology students choose to spend a semester studying abroad. Many opportunities for study abroad can be found at the Office of International Education The Marine Biology program particularly encourages students to consider spending the fall semester of their junior or senior year at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, which provides both coursework and research experience in the setting of an active tropical oceanographic research laboratory. An exchange program with the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Portsmouth on the south coast of England for the academic year or just in the spring semester is another excellent avenue for studying away at an academic institution with significant marine offerings. Many courses in the marine biology track at Portsmouth will fulfill requirements for your major at URI. The marine laboratory in Portsmouth is just 3 miles from the main campus and is linked by bus service.

Jobs
Part-time employment during the academic year and in the summer may be available on the Kingston campus, in the Department of Biological Sciences or in other departments, or at the Narragansett Bay Campus. Occasionally, students are employed at the nearby Environmental Protection Agency or National Marine Fisheries Service laboratories. As always, these jobs are competitive.

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For more information contact:

Department of Biological Sciences

100 Flagg Road

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI 02881-0816

Tel.: (401) 874-2372

FAX: (401) 874-4256

E-mail: BIOSCI@ETAL.URI.EDU

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