Internships

For High School and Undergraduate Students

The Coastal Studies Institute offers internships for high school (HS) and undergraduate (UG) students, including those attending the UNC Outer Banks Field site and the ECU Semester Experience at the Coast, interested in coastal sciences. Internship projects have included education, science journalism, photojournalism, sustainable design, ocean observing, and estuary processes and ecology.

Please check back soon for upcoming internship opportunities in Fall 2026. For more information or questions not addressed in the FAQ section, contact Julie Kirn.

Two people stand inside the cabin of a boat at the helm. They are looking at a monitor in front of them.

A young woman with a long ponytail wearing a maroon t-shirt places small tins of sediment into a drying oven in a research lab.

Two young men conduct work in a research lab. The beakers in front of them on the counter hide what is in their hands.

Five individuals in wetsuits and snorkeling gear investigate a shallow shipwreck on a blue-sky day.

Led by East Carolina University (ECU), The Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System including North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and Elizabeth City State University.

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CSI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University. Click on the links below for more information.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

JENNETTE'S PIER WAVE ENERGY TEST CENTER

SMALL-SCALE WAVE TANK

ECU's Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) is a leader in coastal and marine research, education, and engagement. ECU ICP includes the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU's Department of Coastal Studies, and ECU Diving and Water Safety.

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The faculty and staff at the Coastal Studies Institute come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, as well as departments and organizations including ECU Department of Biology, ECU Department of Coastal Studies, NC Sea Grant, the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program, and the UNC Institute for the Environment.

MEET THE TEAM

Tour the ECU Outer Banks Campus and learn about the research, education, and engagement projects of CSI and ECU Integrated Coastal Programs through our 360 virtual tour.

VIRTUAL TOUR

The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
Located on Roanoke Island along the banks of the second largest estuary
in the United States, this coastal campus spans 213 acres of marshes, scrub wetlands, forested wetlands, and estuarine ecosystems.