Supporting Marine Turtle Conservation as a CMS Intern

Every year, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) onboards interns into the Aquatic Species Team. Over the course of a few months, they support the Secretariat as well as its various daughter agreements, including the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU. 

Each intern has an opportunity to contribute to the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, with tasks ranging from supporting the day-to-day needs of the Secretariat to drafting reports and presenting at meetings. Much of the progress over the past 25 years of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU would have not been possible without the support of our dedicated and passionate interns, so we reached out to past and present interns to find out more about their experience, before, during, and after their internship. 

Engaging with CMS Prior to Applying

Some applicants to our internship programme have heard of UNEP or CMS through university studies. Others have even attended CMS meetings such as Conferences of Parties (COPs) while working with other organizations. For example, both Louisa Breimann (Germany, CMS Intern 10/24 - 03/25) and Damien Jahan (France, CMS Intern 05/2025 - 09/2025) attended COP14 in Uzbekistan prior to commencing their internships. Louisa attending with an ocean conservation NGO and Damien attending with the French delegation while working at the French Biodiversity Agency. When discussing COP14, Louisa shared "seeing the work being done there first-hand really stayed with me. I knew that this was exactly the kind of work I wanted to be part of, so I was thrilled when I saw the call for internships." 

Damien Jahan (France, CMS Intern 05/2025 - 09/2025) attending COP14 in Uzbekistan prior to the start of his internship with CMS

Notwithstanding, most interns have not had direct involvement with CMS prior to starting their internship, and even fewer mention having prior knowledge about the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU. Sara Kophamel (Spain, CMS Intern 09/2021 - 02/2022) shares that she “had not been directly exposed to the work of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU before applying.” 

"The internship seemed like an ideal opportunity to learn more about international cooperation and biodiversity conservation." - Sara

Mya Hartley (New Zealand, CMS Intern 07/2026 - 12/2026) shares that she was excited when she saw the call for applications; "the internship lies at the international science-policy interface, a field I was hoping to gain experience in after completing my undergraduate studies in ocean science and international relations. I was particularly excited about the prospect of attending intergovernmental meetings and seeing conservation negotiations happen in real-time." 

Getting Started and the Day-to-day

Week 1 of the internship can vary for everyone. Frida Lode (Germany, CMS intern 10/2026 – 03/2027) found coming to the United Nations Campus in Bonn initially intimidating, but described everyone being welcoming, knowledgeable, and friendly. When Daan de Leur (Netherlands, CMS Intern 09/2024 - 03/2025) joined CMS, all but one member of the Aquatic Species Team were abroad representing CMS at meetings. This meant Daan’s first week was very calm and quiet, so much so that she "even managed to give the intern office a deep clean!" She shares that "when the others returned from their trips abroad the following week, I got to experience the full team and it was lovely." 

"Everyone is incredibly dedicated to their work, which is genuinely inspiring to see as an intern, and they are all so supportive, always checking in to make sure you are working on something meaningful to you." - Daan

As the months pass, interns are exposed to a variety of tasks at the science-policy interface. In Sara’s experience, these included conducting literature reviews, supporting the development and assessment of Single Species Action Plans, researching the impacts of threatening processes like underwater noise, assessing key performance indicators, drafting newsletter articles and meeting reports, and preparing presentations for global summits, such as the UNFCCC COP. 

Sara Kophamel (Spain, CMS Intern 09/2021 - 02/2022, right) with the Aquatic Species Team shortly after completing her remote internship

Preparing for and attending meetings as part of the CMS Secretariat can often be one of the most rewarding and memorable parts of one’s internship. They are each unique opportunities to see conservationist, experts, and government officials share their views, discuss challenges, and exchange ideas on how to enhance and advance sea turtle conservation. Reflecting on these meetings, Paula Acevedo-Ramirez (Colombia, CMS Intern 07/2026 - 11/2026) shares: 

"Something that really surprised me was learning that the members of the Advisory Committee (AC) of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU do this work voluntarily, on top of their own jobs and responsibilities. Seeing how much time and effort they put into these discussions made me appreciate the work that happens behind the scenes of marine turtle conservation." - Paula

Meanwhile Damien recalls one particularly memorable task: contributing to the Sea Turtle Bycatch & Mitigation in the Indian Ocean and South-east Asia Region report. He worked alongside AC member Nicolas Pilcher, a marine turtle specialist and longtime contributor to the MOU (see Nicolas’ reflections on 25 Years of IOSEA here). "It was particularly rewarding to see the final product of that work when the report came out shortly after my internship."

Louisa also played a large role in working on bycatch mitigation, ultimately becoming a co-author alongside the CMS COP-appointed Councillor for Bycatch, Barry Baker, on A Review of Technical and Operational Measures to Mitigate Bycatch of Marine Turtles in Commercial Fisheries. Having an opportunity to make a tangible contribution to marine turtle conservation showed her the importance of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU Secretariat, with the outcomes of the report now taken into fishery management meetings to help improve bycatch mitigation. "I’m grateful I was trusted with a task like this as an intern." 

Frida, who most recently joined CMS, shares that she has learnt a lot about sea turtle conservation in a relatively short amount of time, with her studies having focused on cetaceans rather than turtles. 

"One of my favourite things I’ve learnt so far, is that despite decades of research we still have knowledge gaps, such as how exactly they are navigating the oceans. As much as I’m excited to see these gaps filled through research, it also gives the turtles an element of mystery and magic." - Frida

Current CMS Interns Mya Hartley (New Zealand, CMS Intern 07/2026 - 12/2026) (top left), Paula Acevedo-Ramirez (Colombia, CMS Intern 07/2026 - 11/2026) (top right), and Frida Lode (Germany, CMS Intern 10/2026 - 03/2027) (bottom)

Other memorable tasks for interns include the funnier moments in the office. Daan was helping the MOU coordinator submit proposals to the Global Biodiversity Fund for various projects, for which they required letters of support from relevant governments. With the deadline approaching and still some letters missing, Daan was tasked with calling several government officials to convince them to send their letters that same day. "What I hadn’t anticipated was that the biggest challenge would be figuring out how the ancient, corded office telephones worked. I don’t think I have ever felt more incompetent than when trying several combinations of country and office codes and still failing to get a dial tone! Nonetheless, thanks to Heidi’s excellent explanation of how to use a phone, I eventually managed to make the calls. I essentially spent the morning acting as the CMS Secretariat’s customer service representative, calling different officials and, I believe, even speaking to a minister. And, amazingly, we managed to secure most of the letters this way!"

Celebrating Milestones with the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU

When important celebrations roll around for the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, interns often contribute to the campaigns. Marie Podien (Germany, CMS Intern 04/2026 - 08/2026) designed the 25th Anniversary Infographic. She shares "It was a fun challenge to balance the amount of information while keeping the design visually appealing. I gained an even greater appreciation for the MOU's long history, its members, and their achievements over the past 25 years. Learning more about the people that have contributed to turtle conservation was both interesting and inspiring."

Mya and Paula have supported the 25th Anniversary campaign through managing the story map and external story submissions, respectively (see map here). Both interns also contributed articles to the campaign: Mya drafted Protecting Marine Turtles Takes a Village... and a Common Vision and this article, while Paula drafted Marine Turtles: Unique and Amazing Travellers and Following the Evidence: Science as the Foundation for Conservation Action. Paula shares, "I really enjoyed reading stories from across the region... and seeing how many emails can come with a campaign!." 

"Conservation is not easy, and convincing people to change how they see turtles and their protection is even harder. So, seeing how many people out there have taken the initiative to make a difference was really inspiring." - Paula

Olaolu Matemilola (Nigeria, CMS Intern 04/21 - 07/21) reflects on the memorable 'round-the-clock' virtual event the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU organized for the 20th Anniversary campaign (see the event here). "It sounded brilliant until we started thinking about practicalities, and I soon found myself researching video streaming platforms, which is not what I pictured when I signed up for an environmental internship! We tested a few that looked perfect on paper, only to find that they couldn’t handle our time zones and other requirements. Eventually we partnered with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), who took care of the stream, and the event was a tremendous success. I still brag about it to friends."

Ana Berta García (Spain, former CMS Intern and current Aquatic Team Consultant) joined the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU in the final stretch of the 20th Anniversary campaign and, five years later, has helped lead the 25th Anniversary celebrations. "I joined the MOU as a consultant during the countdown to the 20th Anniversary. Like Olaolu, I soon found myself on a self-taught crash course in video editing! I won’t lie, it was a bit nerve-racking. After all, what could possibly go wrong with a round-the-world, round-the-clock virtual event spanning several time zones?"

Olaolu Matemilola (Nigeria, CMS Intern 04/21 - 07/21) and IOSEA Staff, including Ana Berta García (bottom) and Heidi Frisch-Nwakanma (top right), at the ‘Round-the-clock’ virtual event

Long before becoming a consultant with the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, Ana Berta had started her journey with CMS as an intern. Funnily enough, her internship back then began much like Daan’s: calling governments on the phone, and eventually having the phone picked up by the minister themselves! "Is this some kind of CMS initiation ritual?" 

Five years after the successful 20th Anniversary event, Ana Berta is wrapping up another anniversary. Reflecting on the experience, she says: "This time, I had a very active part in the conception and organization of the 25th Anniversary Campaign from the beginning, and I’m very proud of how well it has gone. And once again, it was made possible by the invaluable help of our interns."

Intern Observations on Challenges to Conservation

Many interns are exposed to what intergovernmental conservation looks like in practice for the first time upon joining CMS. Sara notes how the limited resources and competing priorities make turning commitments into practical conservation outcomes more challenging. "Fortunately, marine turtles benefit from high public visibility and strong community support, which can make it easier to secure resources for conservation initiatives and implement on-ground actions."

On turning commitments into practical conservation, Marie shares that "international conservation agendas can sometimes feel quite far removed from the realities on the ground. In many places, resources are limited, and local circumstances do not always align easily with conservation goals. I came across this challenge particularly while working on a paper exploring alternative livelihood opportunities that could help reduce the hunting of turtles and collection of their eggs. What helped bridge that gap for me was reading case studies and learning about specific beaches, conservation programmes, and personal stories from different regions. These examples made the work feel much more tangible and helped me understand how international commitments can take shape in very different local contexts."

"Learning about case studies and personal stories also showed me that successful conservation depends on local people, partnerships, and creativity. Most importantly, these stories gave me hope, as they showed that real progress is happening, even if it can sometimes feel slow or distant from a desk in Bonn." - Marie

Marie Podien (Germany, CMS Intern 04/2026 - 08/2026) at the UN Campus, Bonn

Working on an alternative livelihoods task also gave Paula the opportunity to reflect on the longevity of projects. "Getting local communities involved is important, but it is not always enough. People need opportunities to earn a living without relying on activities that harm marine turtles and their habitats, and these alternatives need to consider the needs of the whole community. Otherwise, some people may be left behind."

"Many of these threats are not merely ecological issues, but also social and economic ones, making collaboration with local communities essential," echoes Daan, particularly regarding the issue of bycatch and the use of turtle meat and eggs. 

Meanwhile, Damien shares about people’s perception of multilateral cooperation: "[it] is often criticised for being slow and bureaucratic, but I came away even more convinced that it can help move the needle. COPs and international conferences are more than ceremonial speeches and paperwork, they are the visible tip of an iceberg built on years and years of work by dedicated scientists, national administrations and secretariat staff bringing different perspectives together and moving forward collective action for a common cause."

Regardless of the challenges facing marine turtles and their conservation, interns felt working with the MOU gave them a positive outlook on the progress being made: 

"Working at the Secretariat as made me more aware of the complex threats marine turtles are facing, it has also made me more hopeful, because I get to witness and contribute to targeted conservation efforts first hand." - Frida

"Through the work of several incredible marine turtle conservation scientists involved with the MOU, I also gained concrete, real-world examples of what such collaboration can look like and how difficult but also rewarding such work can be." - Daan

"Being in the engine rooms of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU really shows you the laborious processes required to coordinate the protection of migratory marine species at the international level. Simultaneously seeing what such collaboration can achieve is inspiring and makes me hopeful for the future of conservation." - Mya

From CMS to Careers in Conservation

As previous interns looked back on their time with CMS, we also asked them how their experiences shaped their professional development. From seeing a big-picture view of the challenges to conservation, to having opportunities to expand professional networks, and gaining a better understanding of international environmental policy and cooperation, interns felt their time with CMS supported their careers far more than they could originally have foreseen. 

"Having access to the UN system and working alongside the brilliant colleagues of the Secretariat was a game changer for me. It changed how I saw myself and gave me the confidence to take on the world. It also broadened my worldview and opened my eyes to career paths I hadn’t considered." - Olaolu

After their internship, Louisa and Daan both stayed on as consultants with CMS, which allowed them to keep contributing to the work of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU and CMS and to attend COP15 in Brazil. Beyond that, both Louisa and Daan have been volunteering with people they met through their internships, including on a project focused on turtle conservation. Louisa shares "it’s been great to see how the connections from the internship continue to help me support conservation work both within and beyond the MOUS and CMS and frameworks."

Daan de Leur (Netherlands, CMS Intern 09/2024 - 03/2025) (left) and Louisa Breimann (Germany, CMS Intern 10/24 - 03/25) (right)

"The Aquatic Team was incredibly supportive and provided tasks and activities that challenged me while allowing me to grow. Through the internship, I was also fortunate enough to meet many incredible scientists and policymakers involved with the MOU and CMS. Many of these connections have endured, and I still keep in touch with and encounter these people all over the world." - Daan

The networks Sara made while working with CMS eventually led to a position with the Australian Government, where she continues to work on migratory species conservation. She shares that working in a highly motivated and multicultural team was particularly valuable, and the experience gave her a clearer sense of the type of work environment that she thrives in. 

"The internship remains one of the most positive experiences of my professional career." - Sara

Thank You 

Thank you to our interns, past and present for their contributions to the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU - many, many activities of the Secretariat would not have been possible without you!

"I started my work with CMS as an intern, too. The contribution of interns to our work is enormous, and I am deeply grateful to the bright young people who choose to dedicate several months of their time, talent and expertise to our mission. I strive to make their experience with us worthwhile for both sides, and I continue to marvel at the diverse skills and perspectives that they bring, enriching our work year after year." - Heidi Frisch-Nwakanma (Germany, CMS Intern 04/2005 - 06/2005, MOU Coordinator since 2017)

Interested in becoming an intern with the Aquatic Species Team at CMS/IOSEA? Keep an eye out here for the next internship recruitment round for starting dates any time in 2027.