{"id":9221,"date":"2026-05-31T21:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T19:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uni-bremen.de\/praxisschock\/?p=9221"},"modified":"2026-05-31T21:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T19:48:23","slug":"biology-internship-on-curacao-with-erasmus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uni-bremen.de\/praxisschock\/2026\/05\/31\/biology-internship-on-curacao-with-erasmus\/","title":{"rendered":"Biology Internship on Cura\u00e7ao with Erasmus+"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Introduction<\/strong>
The Erasmus funding enabled me to complete an internship in Cura\u00e7ao, an opportunity that I most likely would not have been able to afford otherwise. During this internship I gained valuable academic, practical, and personal experience. The following report provides an overview of my work environment, the tasks I performed, and the skills and insights I developed during my stay.<\/p>\n

The entry process to Cura\u00e7ao was very straightforward. Before traveling, an online immigration document called the DI-Card must be completed. Upon arrival at the airport, my passport was simply scanned, which allowed me to leave the airport quickly. A practical note for future visitors is that Cura\u00e7ao does not have a large number of taxis available. However, after asking around briefly, I was able to find transportation to my accommodation without difficulty.<\/p>\n

My room on the Carmabi campus was already prepared, allowing me to move in immediately. Shortly afterwards I met Kristen Marhaver, who welcomed me warmly to the island and introduced me to the working environment. This made for a very smooth and positive start to my internship.<\/p>\n

Work Environment<\/strong>
During my first week I met many new colleagues and became familiar with the research environment. One of my main contacts during the internship was Chris, who is responsible for maintaining the coral systems in the wetlab as well as for various administrative tasks. Over the time of my internship I worked most closely with him.<\/p>\n

The wetlab itself is a largely open building that contains numerous aquariums used for coral research and maintenance. These aquariums are continuously supplied with seawater that is pumped directly from the ocean. In order to prevent unwanted particles or organisms from entering the system, the water is filtered through several filters with pore sizes of 50, 5, and 0.5 micrometers. One of my regular tasks was to monitor these filtration systems and replace the filters whenever necessary.<\/p>\n

Tasks and Responsibilities<\/strong>
A central part of my daily work involved the care and maintenance of the organisms kept in the aquariums. The corals were fed three times per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) with crushed mussel meat and a prepared liquid food mixture. Using a pipette, the food had to be carefully delivered to each individual coral. This process required patience and precision in order to ensure that every specimen received nutrition.<\/p>\n

In addition to the corals, many other marine organisms were kept in the aquariums, including sea stars, feather stars, sea cucumbers, crabs, snails, and sea urchins. These organisms also required the regular care and feeding.<\/p>\n

Another important part of my work involved maintaining the aquariums themselves. This included cleaning the tanks as well as carefully cleaning the small tiles on which many of the corals were attached. In some cases, this cleaning process had to be carried out under a microscope in order to avoid damaging the small coral structures.<\/p>\n

Scientific Experience<\/strong>
Besides routine maintenance tasks, I also gained insights into several scientific methods used in coral research. One aspect of the work involved the preservation of biological samples using liquid nitrogen. These samples mainly consisted of coral eggs and sperm and were collected for research purposes. Scientists aim to better understand how such reproductive material can be successfully frozen and later thawed while maintaining its viability. Developing reliable cryopreservation methods could play an important role in future coral conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

Another reason for preserving these samples is that a disease outbreak affected corals in Cura\u00e7ao several years ago. As a result, samples from healthy corals were collected and stored for future research. My responsibility in this process mainly consisted of monitoring the liquid nitrogen levels in the storage tanks and ensuring that the samples remained stored at low temperatures.<\/p>\n

Another scientific skill I developed during my internship was the identification of Caribbean coral species. Initially, I learned the most important species theoretically and then focused particularly on the species that were present in the wetlab. At the end of the internship, I completed a small test in which I had to identify the coral species kept in the wetlab.<\/p>\n

In addition, I participated in several dives during which different coral species were shown to me directly on the reef. One type of coral that appeared particularly frequently during these dives were brain corals. Although I was not required to identify species independently underwater, these dives helped me gain a better understanding of coral diversity in their natural environment.<\/p>\n

Another part of my work involved the documentation of coral growth and structure. This included photographing individual corals and coral polyps for research documentation. When taking these photographs, a small 5 mm scale was always placed next to the specimen in order to allow accurate measurement and comparison of potential changes over time. This tool played a big part in my own small project.<\/p>\n

International Experience<\/strong>
In addition to the academic and practical experience, the international environment of the internship was particularly valuable. During my stay I met several students from different Dutch universities, including the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, and Wageningen University. The exchange with students from different academic backgrounds and study programs was very enriching, and I am still in contact with some of them today.<\/p>\n

Working in this international environment also helped me improve my English skills considerably, as English was the main language used in the laboratory and in daily communication. At the same time, collaborating with people from different cultural and academic backgrounds allowed me to further develop my intercultural competencies as well as my Spanish.
Reflection<\/p>\n

Looking back, the internship in Cura\u00e7ao was an extremely valuable experience both academically and personally. Working with corals was a completely new scientific field for me, and the internship provided me with the opportunity to gain practical insights into marine biology and coral research.<\/p>\n

I also gained my first deeper experience with scientific working standards, including careful documentation, experimental procedures, and collaborative problem solving. Observing how researchers approach challenges in their daily work gave me a better understanding of how scientific research is conducted in practice.<\/p>\n

Beyond the academic aspects, the experience of living and working in an international research environment broadened my perspective and strengthened my interest in scientific collaboration across countries and disciplines.<\/p>\n

Overall, this internship not only expanded my scientific knowledge but also helped me develop important personal and professional skills. The combination of laboratory work, field experience, and international exchange made this stay particularly meaningful and reinforced my motivation to continue pursuing work in a scientific environment in the future.<\/p>\n

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