ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��

Interested in an internship?

Are you looking for an internship and are you interested in marine mammals and stranding research? You are in the right place!

Most internship projects with us last at least 4 months and we are open to undergraduate and master students, from national and international universities and colleges. As you may already know, stranded, dead marine mammals are the focus of our research. Although complete literature or data-driven projects are of course possible, most interns participate with the stranding research project. Working with wildlife and assisting post-mortem examination comes with specific challenges. It cannot be planned and therefore requires flexibility. You should also not shy away when you get to deal with blood and organs, and sometimes decomposed cases. It is important to know that people with a reduced immune system cannot work directly with dead animals.

You can reach us on team.stranding@uu.nl. As soon as you contact us, send us your CV, a motivation letter and let us know immediately what the internship requirements of your course are (including: internship period, role of supervisor, intended end product, etc.) and the topic that interests you or the research question you hope to answer. You can read what we are working on this website, or take a look at the social media channels.

Previous internship projects

We have already had many interns. Below you will find some examples of previous internship projects that students have carried out under our supervision.

Pleun van Elk

Bachelor student Applied Biology at Aeres ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� of Applied Sciences.
Internship period: 07/04/2025 – 17/10/2025.

"For my study I did a six month internship within the marine mammal stranding team. I conducted my own research, focusing on adrenal hyperplasia in relation to the acute or chronic cause of death in stranded harbour porpoises and harbour seals. For each animal, I weighed the adrenal glands, while also taking into account variables such as sex, age, and the nutritional condition of the animals. In addition to my own research, I often assisted during the necropsies of marine mammals, including two rare Sowerby’s beaked whales. This internship has made me realise how vulnerable these marine mammals are, particularly due to human impacts. I hope that through my own research, and in the future, I can contribute to the protection of these valuable species."

Immelie Coenen Morales

Master student Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��.
Internship period: 01/09/2021 - 01/09/2022

"During my Honours Programme Research Project within the Veterinary Medicine Master, I conducted a year-long investigation into the health and cells of harbour porpoises. The objective of my research was to assess the most common causes of death in stranded harbour porpoises, collect samples from these animals to cultivate in vitro cells, examine cell behaviour after exposure to nanoplastic particles, and generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Through this study, I highlighted the indirect impact of human activities on harbour porpoise health, the potential for cell culture-based research, the significance of investigating nanoplastic particle effects, and the use of harbour porpoise cells for ecosystem conservation. This study has been published in ‘Environmental Pollution’ and can be found following this .”

Nasia Kapetanou

Master student Veterinary Medicine at ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� of West Attica.
Internship period: 01/09/2019 - 31/12/2019.

“During my thesis project as a Veterinary Medicine student, I conducted a comprehensive examination of stranded harbour porpoises along the Dutch coast. The primary focus of my research was to investigate cases of fungal disease among these porpoises and determine the prevalence of mycotic infections. By using data from previously conducted post-mortem examinations, including histological and microbiological analyses, I found that 2.4% of the examined harbour porpoises exhibited lesions indicative of localised or disseminated fungal disease. This study has been published in ‘Frontiers in Marine Science’ and can be found following this .”