Cambodia Marine Conservation N.G.O. Internship

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• Help to monitor & conserve marine wildlife in Cambodia

• Work on data from some of the world's best snorkelling sites

• Snorkel crystal clear waters

• Make lifelong friends and return with incredible stories, photos and memories

• Extend your experience of tropical marine and coastal zone conservation field work

• PADI dive courses available (Please consult and book with your adviser before deployment , dive courses are conducted off-site)

 

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

• CV required

• Minimum 2 month placement

• Relevant academic qualifications to at least degree level

• Some experience of coastal zone or marine field work

Location	Cambodia, the private island of Koh Smach
Activities	Learn to map coral reefs Help with environmental education in local communities Explore & record living organisms - in the ocean and on shore Underwater visual census of reef & commercial fish Assessment of algal & coral cover to determine the extent of coral bleaching & damage Line intercept transects for benthic life & indicator invertebrate species Record observations of the feeding habits & behaviour patterns of a range of marine life Report the effects of global warming on marine communities Observe the impact of fishing and other harvesting on the life of the reef
Transport	Airport pick-up for those arriving into Phnom Penh can be arranged at extra cost (£100GBP / $180AUD) Airport pick-up and drop off for those travelling to and from Phnom Penh can be arranged at extra cost (£135GBP / $245AUD) Bus and ferry/speed boat transfer to the island £15/$27
Accommodation	Beach camp

Before you go	Pre-departure support & documentation Travel & medical advice from dedicated personal travel adviser Advice on visas & equipment Discounted medical kit Free Frontier t-shirt UK residential briefing weekend including food, accommodation and training (extra cost applies)
In-country	Project orientation and training  In-country emergency support Food 24-hour international HQ back-up

 

A variety of qualifications are available on many of our projects. For example, BTEC certificates and diplomas on our Group conservation projects and TEFL certificates and BTECs on most of our teaching projects. You may also be able to gain a CoPE to support your university application. For more information on these qualifications, please see the qualifications section of our website or ask your volunteer advisor.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT DO?

The aim of the Frontier-Cambodia Reef Conservation Project is to better understand the country’s marine resources, and to provide teaching and training to local island communities to enable them to make informed decisions regarding the management of their coastal ecosystems.

To achieve this mission, you will conduct scientific baseline data surveys of reef areas, including mapping the health of the reefs. We also identify patterns of resource use, and we work with local communities to support environmentally responsible development.

 

Some of Cambodia’s corals were recently damaged by a bleaching event caused by high sea temperatures. Global warming is believed to be to blame. Your project aims to chart the extent of this damage and to monitor how the reefs are recovering. We hope that this information will help to support management of damaged coral reefs around the world.

 

The island of Kaoh Smach has never been studied and the local people are keen to be involved in protecting their marine and coastal biodiversity, making this a perfect location for both research and practical conservation activities. You could have the opportunity to work on all sorts of tangible conservation and research, both land-based and marine. As well as marine work, you could be doing bird counts or vegetation surveys, or you might have the chance to join the local community members as they fish around the island. Marine conservation interns are invited to join the project for 2 months minimum.    

 

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

The project’s work aims to provide local stakeholders, research organisations and government bodies with the information they need to design and implement management plans for the future protection of key marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

 

To gather the data needed you will be surveying to locate and map the extensive coral reefs and study their various wildlife communities. You will also explore and record the organisms that inhabit the inter-tidal zones and the island's inland areas. To do this you will deploy a wide range of newly learned research skills and scientific techniques including: underwater visual census of reef and commercial fish such as triggerfish and parrotfish, assessment of algal and coral cover to determine the extent of coral bleaching and damage, and line intercept transects for benthic life and indicator invertebrates such as nudibranchs. You will record observations of the feeding habits and behaviour patterns of a range of marine and terrestrial life. You may even get to study the impact of artisanal fishing on the coral reefs or report the effects of global warming on marine communities.

 

Whilst snorkelling, you'll see an extraordinary array of animals from stunning angel fish to the shy porcupine fishsea cucumbers to feathery starfish, spiny urchins to octopus and seahorses. By the end of your internship you will be expert at identifying hundreds of colourful and patterned reef fish as well as being an experienced and competent marine and coastal zone surveyor. Although the work is intense and challenging you'll get immense satisfaction from having achieved so much and from having made a valuable contribution to the conservation of this precious marine wilderness. You will return home with the new friends you've made and a wealth of fascinating stories and memories.

 

Your co- workers will be committed, energetic and dynamic with a  mix of ages and experiences, they will all share a passion for travelling in developing countries and working in marine wildlife conservation. Your staff colleagues will be young, friendly individuals who are highly experienced in their research field and may have started their careers as Frontier volunteers.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I ARRIVE?

If you have booked an airport pickup you will be welcomed at Phnom Penh Airport by other Frontier field staff or Frontier representatives. From here, you’ll travel to Poy Japon by bus (bus fare not included). A bus and a ferry will then take you to the island of Koh Smach (transfer costs not included) on a half hour journey to the your new home - the Frontier camp on our private island.

You will be welcomed onto camp by the Frontier team and introduced to the Frontier-Cambodia research and conservation program. You will meet staff, receive initial project briefings, including an introduction to the work programme and to the field research techniques used, as well as being given health and safety lectures, so make sure your medical kit is complete and start reading your Safety and Medical Guides now.

 

WHERE WILL I BE STAYING?

Here we aim to provide you with a unique and memorable living experience and to make minimal impact on the environment. This means that the camp is simple and mostly consists of impermanent structures. All building materials used on camp are sourced from local tradesmen who use environmentally friendly practices. Camp life is very simple, unsophisticated and fun. Your "shower" may be a jug or a bucket of water – perhaps even a shower of rain – and you’ll cook over an open campfire: so prepare for the basic, unencumbered, virtually footprint-less lifestyle! On occasion you may have to travel further from your beach camp to reach a distant survey site, and then you might stay in a “satellite camp”, usually a mosquito net pitched on a beach.

As well as taking part in surveying and marine conservation work you’ll help with scientific data entry and daily camp maintenance, taking turns to cook, tidy and clean the camp, clean and repair survey kit, collect firewood, collect and treat water, and help with a wide variety of other essential camp duties.

 

WHAT WILL I BE EATING?

Camp food is basic but nutritious and consists largely of rice, vegetables, beans and noodles, all of which are purchased locally in order to help support the local economy. Luxuries such as chocolate, peanut butter and drinking chocolate are only available from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap or Koh Kong, so make sure you stock up before heading to the field. Also, with luck you'll be invited to local celebrations, holidays and festivals - a great way to interact with your local hosts and experience local culture.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

On the Frontier-Cambodia island camp there will be plenty of things to get involved with and to keep you occupied. In your spare time you'll have opportunities to swim and snorkel in the sparkling blue waters around the island, or to play football or volleyball on the beach. Or you might help organise a traditional Friday night themed camp party, play poker, chess or backgammon or join in a camp quiz night. After a long hard day of snorkelling you may prefer to relax with a soda and sway in the camp hammock, or sit and chat to your new friends beside a roaring campfire, under a sky lit up by millions of stars. Later you will drift off to sleep lulled by the gentle lapping of the ocean.

If you’d like to see more of Cambodia before or after your Frontier project, there is an incredible array of activities and adventures to chose from*. You could explore the mystical world of the temples of the Khmer Empire, with its beautiful unspoiled monuments, magical atmosphere, and charming monkeys tumbling amongst the ruins. Or take a road trip through the rice paddy fields, and catch a glimpse of the age old farming techniques that are still in use, with one of the extensive bird sanctuaries or fishing villages as your final destination.

 

* Please be aware that the costs of any such additional activities are not covered by your project contribution.

 

DIVING RATES

• Single Day Dive AU$63/$50
• Double Dive AU$105/$80
• 4-dive package AU$210/$160
• 10-dive package AU$420/$320

 

COURSES*

• Discover Scuba Diving AU$136/$105
• Open Water Dive Course AU$525/$400
• Advanced Open Water AU$483/$370
• Medic First Aid AU$210/$160
• Rescue Diver AU$630/$480
• Dive Master AU$1,050/$800

*Medical certificate is mandatory for participation in dive courses

 

RENTAL EQUIPMENT (Prices per day)

• Jacket/BCD AU$10/$8
• Regs AU$10/$8
• Wetsuit AU$10/$8
• Mask/Snorkel AU$6/$5
• Fins AU$6/$5
• Computer AU$15/$11
• Torch AU$15/$11

Modern conveniences

Sihanoukville - 2 hour boat journey at own cost

• Banks / ATMs; ANZ Royal Bank, Canadia Bank, Union Commerical Bank
• Bars / cafes
• Clothing and souvenir shops
• Hotels and hostels
• Internet cafe
• Medical clinic
• Mobile phone shops
• Post office
• Tours and excursions
• Traditional markets and cafes

COSTS

2 months AU$2,795

DEPARTURE DATES

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October & November and first 2 weeks of December.

First Monday of the month

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Nearest airport(s): Phnom Penh (PNH) 
 

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

• Flights
• Visas
• Insurance