Your Internship Experience
You’ll dive into reef restoration work and will have the best time doing it. A BRANCH internship is anything but boring. You get to work with an international team and experience the beauty of Curaçao while helping our reefs and engaging the community. Not one day is the same, thus flexibility is a must.
Your Day-to-Day Tasks
Working with BRANCH is diverse. One moment you are writing a newsletter and crafting a social media post, the next you are creating a coral nursery. You will be doing hands-on reef work: gathering supplies, building nurseries, cleaning them, outplaning coral fragments and tracing their growth, actively learning about coral restoration techniques.
Internship essentials
While being mad about corals helps, there are a few other prerequisites to becoming an intern at BRANCH.
A valid driver’s license
To get around Curaçao a car is indispensable.
Scuba certification
+ buoyancy mastery
+ recent health check
(can be obtained on Curaçao)
A passion for marine life & reef conservation
This is a natural prerequisite for interning with us.
“Branch is a small but highly dedicated team. During my internship, I not only gained valuable practical experience but also truly felt part of the organisation and its mission for nature. It was an inspiring and educational time, thank you.”
Lisa Gerats | Marine Biology Intern
“My time at BRANCH was precious and inspiring. I wish I could have spend more time on the island with the team and also more time under water. I would go back right now if I could.”
Ines Zimmermann | Marketing Intern
“I did a nine-week internship at BRANCH Coral Foundation. I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in coral restoration and also acquired significant diving experience. I was also well supported by Max in completing my personal assignments.”
Storm Henkus | Applied Biology Intern
Our interns
Meet our current (and past) interns
Oscar van Polen
Oscar recently finished his studies in Environmental Science. Before continuing his Masters he decided to join our team to get some hands-on experience. We love to have Oscar around.
Ines Zimmermann
After deciding to go back to study Ocean Conservation Ines wanted to do an internship in the field. At BRANCH she was responsible for Marketing and the Relaunch and concept of this beautiful website.
Agathe Moreau
Agathe is a passionate and experienced diver and underwater photographer from Belgium. She is currently doing her Masters in Ocean Conservation in France and gets easily distracted by marine life during dives.
Lisa Gerats
As a marine Biology Bachelor Student Lisa was looking for an opportunity to apply her know-how, before starting her Master’s in the same field. Originally from the Netherlands Lisa is an experienced diver and soon to be dive master.
Storm Henkus
Storm is a third-year Applied Biology student from the Netherlands, with a great interest in marine life and coral . During his internship he conducted his own research on the growth rate of newly out planted staghorn coral fragments at three of our sites.
Naomi Hornick
Naomi is a Bachelor student in Water Management at HZ University in Middelburg, the Netherlands. As a brand new diver, Naomi focused on day-to-day activities at BRANCH.
Sam Pronk
Sam returned to Curaçao in early 2024 with his sister Anne, having lived here as a child. As an intern from the HVL Coast and Ocean Management program, his calm yet dedicated approach helped BRANCH improve coral outplanting techniques.
Anne Pronk
Anne joined her brother Sam at BRANCH and quickly became a valuable addition. Her social media skills boosted our outreach, and she soon got hooked on diving, supporting our coral restoration work. We wouldn’t be surprised to see her back in Curaçao soon!
Ready to join us?
You want to be part of the diverse and international coral restoration team of BRANCH. Then contact us now!
