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Sergey Babakov Marine Technician Intern Sergey interned aboard the Research Vessel Cape Henlopen during the summer of 2002. While interning with the University of Delaware, Sergey was able to take part in two cruises, giving him experience working with equipment such as the CTD and ADCP. He was also able to assist with the deployment and recovery of buoys as well as acoustic instrumentation. A short presentation on Sergey's internship can be found here. Sergey says this of his internship, "In summarizing my entire internship, I am very glad I was able to spend a month working on the R/V Cape Henlopen as a marine technician intern. Without any question, it was a great experience. Moreover, I have a much better idea of what I would like to do with my life. I have met great people, I have learned new skills, and finally, I have done something that I have wanted to do for a very long time- spent some time working on a vessel out at sea." Alicea Carlstad
"For someone in my major (ocean studies) this opportunity could not have come at a better time. During my junior year all of the subjects are starting to come together but taking on the cruise really solidified that knowledge. Finally seeing the real world application of what I was doing made things suddenly come together." "The Ocean Drilling Program and MATE gave me an opportunity to not only build my resume but to extend my knowledge. When I walked away from the ship on December 16, 2001 I had a new appreciation for science and the people behind the science. The Ocean Drilling Program is an internship that I would recommend most highly. My experiences were educational and always positive. I consider myself very lucky to have sailed with such an excellent crew." Gavin Eppard
After this first experience with WHOI, Gavin went on to intern with the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), Duke University, and WHOI for a second time. When Gavin returned from his second internship with WHOI, he was offered a part-time position with the ODP. He took that position and has since been hired as a full-time employee by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Alvin Group as a mechanical technician. Rosette Fernandez Rosette was one of the few students who was able to partake in the 2001 University National Oceanographic Laboratory Systems (UNOLS) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) technical internships. Rosette sailed aboard the Oceanus during two cruises, learning how to collect physical oceanography data to measure current exchange between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. During her time out at sea, she learned how to deploy, operate, and collect samples using the CTD and ADCP. She was then taught how to analyze these samples for salinity and dissolved oxygen. "By the third day I became the sole operator [of the CTD package] during my shift, and eventually became a bona fide CTD expert. This makes me very proud considering my absolute lack of experience with this technology prior to this endeavor." "My MATE internships were a perfect compliment to my courses because they gave me practical experience in my field of interest. I experienced what the fruits of my labor will be once I finish my degree, but there is still so much to get through to be at that point. Nonetheless, the internships solidified my desire to pursue oceanography and gave me a perspective I would not have found any other way. I made good friends and contacts and am confident that such contacts will help with my graduation aspirations. There is no greater feat than doing, being a part of what you are pursuing, and thanks to these internships I know that I can in fact 'do'." Chad Findlay
When Chad was finished with his internship, he commented that, "overall this internship was a valuable experience. It gave me hands on experience with equipment and instrumentation I would be unable to obtain in a classroom setting. The internship gave me the knowledge of oceanographic instruments to which I will be exposed in the future, namely the CTD instruments, acoustics, and bathymetry. Next, the internship showed me the areas of knowledge I am lacking. Lastly, the internship provided me with a solid basis for planning my education and tailoring it to my own interests in marine technology. As a result, I am now able to gage my goals involving ocean engineering and marine technology." Jennifer Makowka
In assisting the Sanctuary's research department, one of Jennifer's projects was to keep on top of the SSE - a five-year expedition headed by Dr. Earle, Explorer-in-Residence for the National Geographic Society and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It uses a one-man submersible, DeepWorker, which can travel to depths of 2,000 feet and remain there for hours at a time. During Jennifer's time at sea, she learned DeepWorker's systems inside and out. "Most of these [the systems] sounded very familiar after having taken MATE's Introduction to Submersible Technology class. I learned how the pilot flies the sub and all of the emergency procedures. On dive days, I went through the pre-dive checklist with the pilot and then maintained radio contact with the sub to receive life support readings during the dive. During some dives I was the coxswain (steersman) of the chase boat and responsible for the safety of the swimmer unhooking the lines from the sub. I also assisted the technicians in fixing any mechanical and electrical problems with DeepWorker. I learned a tremendous amount during this internship!" Jennifer has since finished the MATE program and is now working for Deep Ocean Engineering and Research, which was a direct result of her final internship with Dr. Earle. Penelope Ross December of 2000 marked Penelope's first experience on a weeklong research cruise aboard the Point Sur. The purpose of this cruise was to collect data for a long-term project that may provide insight into the effects of climate change on primary biological production. This however, was not Penelope's first internship with the MATE Center. Previously, she had interned for Chuck Hof Electrical as an electrical technician. As a result of this internship, Penelope became interested in other internship opportunities through the MATE Center and was placed in the at-sea internship. Penelope has gained valuable technical and non-technical skills through these two internships, which has allowed her to take part in a third internship with the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS). While with CIRPAS, she has honed her troubleshooting and maintenance of equipment skills, as well as her electrical, and computer skills. As a result of all three of these internships, Penelope has gained an appreciation and understanding of what a marine technician does, certainly helping her to find a job in the near future! Wendy Thompson
Wendy has also taken advantage of the MATE internship program. Her first internship was with the California Department of Fish and Game, where she was a laboratory technician collecting data on squid reproduction. From this position, she was placed in an internship that enabled her to use her newfound knowledge from both the GIS and diving classes. Her work at the Monterey Abalone Company involved SCUBA diving to survey bottom sediment and observe where kelp was growing in an area where the company was considering a kelp enhancement reef. She then created a GIS map of the area. "Putting what I'd learned in the MATE classes to work in the real world really brought it home that my work has a place in the scientific community," Wendy says. Wendy has recently finished the MATE program and is now working for the Oceanic Society leading dive groups.
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Alicea
explains her time aboard the Ocean Drilling Program's (ODP) vessel, the
JOIDES Resolution, as an experience to remember and would highly
recommend it to anyone interested in the oceanography field. She sailed
for eight weeks, working in the core laboratory learning how to handle
and process core samples. She helped to bring cores up from the ocean
floor then divided them into seven different sections. These sections
were sealed and labeled. After the cores reached room temperature,
Alicea cut them in half for describing and sampling. 
"For
two and a half weeks, I worked as an electronics technician with the
Alvin Group aboard Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's (WHOI)
research vessel Atlantis. Our job was to prepare and maintain the
submersible Alvin in support of the science being conducted throughout
the trip. I assisted in pre- and post-dive checks and was involved
periodically in maintenance and troubleshooting. I also configured the
video systems that the science crew requested, bench testing and then
installing them inside the sub, and helped configure the science basket
for the day's dive mission. This experience was a pivotal point in my
life," replies Gavin to the question of how his first internship
influenced his life.
Chad
took part in the 2001 University National Oceanographic Laboratory
Systems (UNOLS) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) technical internships,
sailing with the University of Washington aboard the Thomas G. Thompson.
Chad was aboard the vessel for a total of seven weeks, taking part in
three separate cruises. These cruises gave him experience standing watch
during ROV Jason dives, CTD casts, and launching and recovering a
multi-coring unit. 
"My MATE internship grew
into much more than I'd originally expected. What started out as a
semester-long internship at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
office turned into a job there and a three-week expedition with Dr.
Sylvia Earle and the Sustainable Seas Expeditions (SSE)," explains
Jennifer.
Wendy
has taken several MATE courses at Monterey Peninsula College, including
Careers in Marine Science and Technology, Cartography and GIS in
Environmental Applications, and Research Diving and Safety. "I never
thought of myself as a technical person, but my experience with these
classes has involved me in the field of science much more than I could
have imagined; it has also made me realize that technology is much more
approachable than I'd thought," she says.
