Join Our ʻOhana

The People Behind the Mission

None of our work would be possible without the people behind it. From our dedicated staff and interns to the hundreds of volunteers who show up, again and again, to care for Maui's marine life, our 'ohana is the heartbeat of everything we do. Whatever your background or however much time you have to give, there is a place for you here.

Two sea turtle husbandry volunteers cleaning a rehabilitation tank.

Two staff members going to do a coral restoration site monitoring.

Job Opportunities

We are not currently hiring, but will continue to look for passionate team members to join us as we continue to grow. Check back here for openings, or sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new positions become available.

Internships

We provide meaningful professional development opportunities for students interested in protected species management and marine conservation. Through lectures, field work, and hands-on experience at our facility, interns build the skills and connections needed for a career in ocean stewardship.

We are seeking University of Hawaiʻi students for our Spring 2027 Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Internship Program!

Our monk seal hotline receives daily reports of seals hauled out on Maui’s beaches. Depending on the situation, trained volunteers or staff are dispatched to monitor the seals and engage with beachgoers to raise awareness and support conservation efforts. As an intern, you will play an active role in this important conservation work.

Primary Responsibilities:

Min. 8 hrs/week
Answer calls to the monk seal hotline
Dispatch and communicate with volunteers
Respond to monk seal haul-outs
Identify and assess Hawaiian monk seals

Minimum Requirements:

18 years or older
Serious interest in conservation issues in Hawaiʻi
Resident of Maui
Access to reliable transportation and internet
Comfortable working outside on beaches
Excellent communication, and problem-solving abilities

To apply, please submit an updated CV or resume with a cover letter describing why you're a great fit for this position to petra@mocmarineinstitute.org. Please include two academic or professional references with contact information.

Volunteer

At MOCMI, our volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization, providing the professional expertise and tireless dedication necessary to safeguard Maui's marine resources. In 2025, our 'ohana of 145 active volunteers logged an incredible 13,661 hours across our conservation and education programs. This collective effort is the equivalent of a single person working full-time for over six and a half years solely to protect our island’s irreplaceable marine heritage. When you volunteer with us, you are not just supporting a program — you are becoming part of the living network of people who protect Maui's ocean every single day.

Dispatchers play a key role in guiding the public, relaying information to field responders, and promoting marine life conservation.

Responsibilities include answering hotline calls, collecting important details from callers, providing educational information, maintaining accurate call logs, and ensuring professional and compassionate communication with the public.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service and reside on Maui
Strong communication, multitasking, and problem-solving skills
Basic familiarity with sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and Maui beaches preferred; training provided
Reliable phone and internet connection

Field response volunteers respond to distress calls reported through our hotline. Responders are dispatched to locate, assess, and assist the animal, working alongside the lead field responder. We currently offer two response tracks:

1. Honu (Sea Turtle) Response

Field response volunteers assist with responding to sick, injured, distressed, or otherwise compromised sea turtles. Volunteer duties include the assistance of transporting the turtle to and from the coastal environment, collecting gear, drafting reports, crowd control/education, etc. All field response volunteers must be comfortable navigating difficult conditions and terrain.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service

2. Monk Seal Response

Monk seal response volunteers support efforts to monitor and respond to Hawaiian monk seals that haul out on beaches throughout Maui. They play a key role in promoting public awareness and education about monk seal conservation, and the respectful coexistence between seals and humans.

Responsibilities include establishing seal resting areas, engaging with the public, identifying, locating, and collecting data on seals, as well as assisting with rescue operations for injured or ill animals when needed.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service and reside on Maui

Marketing and Social Media volunteers assist with creating engaging visual and written content to increase overall reach, brand awareness, and grow our community of supporters and donors. Hawai'i residents are preferred, but remote opportunities are available. We currently offer two positions:

1. Marketing

Marketing volunteers help manage our e-newsletter, symbolic adoption program, fundraising campaigns, and other marketing-related tasks. Experience with graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe, etc.) is a plus.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service
Must work a minimum of one three-hour shift per week

2. Social Media

Social media volunteers help tell MOCMI's story across Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms. Duties include creating social media content and interacting with the public, community partners, and stakeholders to build engagement and awareness.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service
Must work a minimum of one three-hour shift per week

Outreach volunteers engage with the local community at various outreach events around the island. Volunteer duties include tabling assistance at community events, kiosk assistance at the Maui Ocean Center, presenting for local organizations, and supporting staff at beach/reef clean-ups. This assignment requires interacting with attendees positively, leading hands-on educational activities, selling merchandise, collecting donations, and maintaining the cleanliness and attractiveness of the booth/kiosk area. This also may include setup and take down of booths.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service

Animal husbandry volunteers assist with the on-site, day-to-day care of animals in our facility. We currently offer two husbandry tracks:

1. Honu (Sea Turtle) Husbandry

Sea turtle husbandry and rehabilitation volunteers assist with the on-site, day-to-day care of patients. Volunteer duties include conducting water quality monitoring, recording food and fecal count, cleaning saltwater holding tanks, food prep, and assisting with sea turtle treatments as requested by MOCMI staff.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service
Must work a minimum of one three-hour shift, 9am – 12pm, per week

2. Coral Husbandry

Coral husbandry volunteers assist with the on-site, day-to-day care of corals in our land-based nursery. Duties include water quality monitoring, cleaning saltwater aquaria, animal health assessments, feeding, and maintenance. There may also be opportunities to participate in research projects, coral fragmenting, and outplantings.

Position Requirements:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must commit to 6 months of service
Must work a minimum of one three-hour shift, 9am – 12pm, per week

Steps to Become a Volunteer

Because we work with protected species under federal and state permits, all volunteers complete a thorough onboarding process. The exact training required depends on the program you are interested in.

1 Complete the online volunteer application.

2

Attend a New Volunteer Information Session (offered approximately every two months—invitations will be sent via email 2-3 weeks ahead of time).

3 Review and sign the volunteer handbook and waiver (sent via email after New Volunteer Information Session).

4

Complete the program-specific training required for your chosen volunteer role(s).

Program-specific Training

Text

In-field Response

Complete response training

(offered quarterly).

In-field Response

Attend a virtual presentation, an in-person practical training, and complete 5 mentored shifts.

On-site Dispatch

Complete training with a Level 3 Lead Responder.

On-site Dispatch

Complete training with a Level 3 Lead Responder.

On-site Husbandry

Complete training with a Sea Turtle Technician.

On-site Husbandry

Complete training with a Coral Technician.

Volunteer With Us

Join Our ʻOhana

The People Behind the Mission

Job Opportunities

We are not currently hiring, but will continue to look for passionate team members to join us as we continue to grow. Check back here for openings, or sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new positions become available.

Internships

We provide meaningful professional development opportunities for students interested in protected species management and marine conservation. Through lectures, field work, and hands-on experience at our facility, interns build the skills and connections needed for a career in ocean stewardship.

Volunteer

Steps to Become a Volunteer

Because we work with protected species under federal and state permits, all volunteers complete a thorough onboarding process. The exact training required depends on the program you are interested in.

1

Complete the online volunteer application.

2

Attend a New Volunteer Information Session (offered approximately every two months—invitations will be sent via email 2-3 weeks ahead of time).

3

Review and sign the volunteer handbook and waiver (sent via email after New Volunteer Information Session).

4

Complete the program-specific training required for your chosen volunteer role(s).

Program-specific Training

Text

In-field Response

In-field Response

On-site Dispatch

On-site Dispatch

On-site Husbandry

On-site Husbandry

Report a Sick or Injured Turtle

808-286-2549

Report a Monk Seal Sighting

808-292-2372

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