Summer Internship Program

Formerly known as the Coral Reef Initiative Summer Internship, the DCRM Summer Internship program works to raise community awareness of coral reef and coastal zone issues, threats, and the efforts underway to protect them. Participants are provided with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in resource management, and are encouraged to pursue an education and/or career in environmental conservation.

The 2026 DCRM Summer Internship Program connects interns with mentors from organizations working to protect and conserve the natural resources of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Mentor organizations include the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Water Quality Surveillance and Non-Point Source Program, DEQ Environmental Surveillance Laboratory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mariana Trench Marine National Monument Program, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources Coral Reef Initiative, and the Talaya Club. Together, these programs support conservation through water quality monitoring, pollution prevention, coral reef and habitat protection, scientific research, community outreach, and the preservation of traditional knowledge and sustainable practices. Through this partnership, interns gain hands-on experience while helping to protect the CNMI’s coastal and marine environments for future generations.