Volunteer
Be part of something meaningful and help support one of the world's foremost marine research organizations by becoming a volunteer with Mote Marine Laboratory in the Upper Keys!
Volunteering here is an educational opportunity to learn from our team while gaining hands-on experience and knowledge.
Volunteer opportunities with Mote are for those interested in a long-term commitment to a volunteer role. Program managers will work with volunteers to establish a schedule or recurring shifts, depending on the role.
Before submitting your application (link below) please review the volunteer descriptions below carefully to ensure that you select areas that will be a good fit for your skills and interests:
- Coral Reef Restoration Program–Land-based
Mote scientists cultivate diverse corals for restoration and research in our land-based coral nurseries. At our Upper Keys facilities, our land based restoration program maintains and cares for thousands of coral fragments located in our raceways. Day-to-day duties include generating tags for our various coral species, making/repairing racks and/or trees which hold our coral plugs, cleaning and siphoning raceways, and transferring corals to different raceways. If an individual has previous husbandry experience, cleaning coral plugs to rid them of algae and pests is also available. Observing coral health and training in Mote’s coral microfragmentation process are also long-term volunteer possibilities! (All duties are performed outdoors, volunteers must be willing to work in our South Florida heat!)
- Outreach
Mote engages with our community to share and promote our marine science and conservation work. Primary duties for outreach volunteers will be leading weekly public tours of Mote’s land-based coral nurseries. Outreach volunteers may also assist at Mote’s Ocean Fest Islamorada event or other community events where Mote is a participant. Event-based duties include assisting with setup and breakdown, manning booths for tickets and/or merchandise, or managing a Mote public education booth. (Duties are performed primarily outdoors, volunteers must be willing to work in our South Florida heat!)
Please Note:
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium does not currently offer:
- Short-term, group, or corporate volunteer opportunities
- Volunteer opportunities for kids under 15 years of age
- Court-appointed community service opportunities
- Job shadowing. For college students and recent graduates, see our internship page here.