A Look at the Work New England Aquarium Volunteers Do

There are more than 700 volunteers and interns who donate their time to the New England Aquarium, dedicating around 80,000 hours each year to protect the blue planet. But what exactly do our volunteers do while they’re here?

The answer is: A little bit of everything! Volunteers work across nearly every department at the Aquarium, from Animal Care to administrative roles. Here, learn about a few jobs our volunteers do—and how you can apply to join us as a New England Aquarium volunteer.

Giant Ocean Tank dive volunteer

The first step to diving in the Giant Ocean Tank is working as an assistant dive volunteer, providing support to our staff in caring for the animals and exhibit. Duties include food preparation, feeding animals from the platform (yes, including Myrtle!), and various cleaning tasks.

After at least six months of service, assistant dive volunteers who are scuba-certified can apply for a role as a dive volunteer (DV). DVs jump into the Giant Ocean Tank to help maintain the habitat for our animals by cleaning the coral structure, vacuuming the bottom, and more.

Animal Medical Center volunteer

Volunteers in our Animal Medical Center assist our staff in all areas of routine animal care, as well as with laboratory diagnostics and data entry. It’s a great opportunity to get up close to a wide variety of animals, from fish to birds and the occasional marine mammal, and get hands-on experience in a veterinary setting.

Conservation Education volunteer

If you love sharing your passion for the ocean with others, our Conservation Education volunteer role is the one for you! Conservation Education volunteers have the opportunity to connect with Aquarium visitors and share their knowledge about marine life here at the Aquarium and in the wild.

From assisting guests at the Trust Family Shark and Ray Touch Tank to sharing cool animal biofacts with visitors on the exhibit floor, Conservation Education volunteers can spark curiosity about the ocean in people of all ages and backgrounds.

Volunteer aquarist

Volunteer aquarists work behind-the-scenes to help with all things animal husbandry, from feeding fish to sharing enrichment items and performing exhibit maintenance. It’s great opportunity for those with science and/or animal care experience to work side-by-side with our staff caring for the thousands of animals that call the Aquarium home.

Volunteer aquarists typically work within one gallery, tending to animals that live within a similar ecosystem. But within each gallery, there is a lot of diversity of marine life to discover!

Penguin colony volunteer

It’s a full-time job to maintain the habitat for dozens of African penguins and southern rockhopper penguins—and volunteers are essential for that work. Hosing down and scrubbing the islands regularly helps keep our birds and their environment healthy! Volunteers also help feed penguins, engage with the animals through enrichment, and respond to guest questions about the exhibit.

Sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation

Volunteers play a huge part in our work to rehabilitate the hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles that arrive at our Sea Turtle Hospital each fall. They work to make sure the Sea Turtle Hospital is always prepared for patients, cleaning the area and monitoring water quality. They also help with food prep and feedings for the sea turtles, assist during medical procedures, and monitor and report on the health of animals.

How to become a New England Aquarium volunteer

Volunteer opportunities are available year-round, and we accept applications on a rolling basis. Most positions require a six-month commitment, and volunteers work one full day a week, but there are limited short-term and one-time roles available.

Check out our current opportunities and apply to be an Aquarium volunteer today.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to participate, and at least 18 for most positions. Teens 14 and older are welcome to join our Summer Teen internship program!