Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by conducting research. As a research intern you are the person that will bring valuable insights into our Bubble Barrier mission. You are a creative thinker who likes to put ideas into action, test your assumptions and validate your hypotheses with some hands-on experiments. Are you the intern we’re looking for? Then send us your CV and your motivation!

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier.

Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

With an internship at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be a part of our dynamic team where everyone is dedicated to save our oceans from plastic pollution.  Our mission is to implement more Bubble Barriers to stop as much riverine plastic pollution from flowing to sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just like Amsterdam, many cities cope with different challenges in the cities’ waters; plastic pollution, low oxygen levels, low ecological water quality, salination of waters and surrounding agricultural lands, and many more. Bubble Barriers are a possible solution to more than one challenge. Research on these added benefits still needs to be designed, needs experimentation, and could provide just the additional data needed to implement Bubble Barriers on a larger scale.

Besides the ecological benefits, our Bubble Barriers work as a tool to create awareness about plastic pollution and the need to stop it in rivers.

Your Research

Besides merely removing plastic from the water, we believe an installed Bubble Barrier provides more beneficial effects. One of these effects is the social impact a Bubble Barrier generates, e.g. the public awareness generated by the presence of a Bubble Barrier and the objects it catches. People or instances might talk about it more and/or adjust their behaviour due to visible measures. Since measures against plastic pollution are crucial for the future of our planet, we are interested in finding out how this awareness impacts a real-world situation. Our partners, like the City of Amsterdam and Water Management Board Amstel, Gooi en Vecht are interested in this effect. You will look for insights on this topic, perform field-experiments and conclude your findings in the form of a research project-report or a thesis. During this project, you will help answer the following questions:

• • What is the current state of public awareness around the plastic pollution issue, due to visibility of measures (like the Bubble Barrier system in the Westerdok region of Amsterdam)
  • How can awareness be increased?
  • And what is the impact on policymakers, passers-by, or local citizens?

Skills & requirements

We are looking for a Bachelor student in the final year or a Master student with a background in sociology, psychology, marketing, planning or likewise.

• You like to take initiative
• You are flexible and enjoy challenges
• You can work independently
• You work in a structured manner and are able to present your thought processes to your team
• You are vocal about the challenges you’re facing and actively seek help if you need it
• An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

• Your internship will be compensated with €275,- per month.
• Travel cost compensation (public transport).
• Flexible work hours / working remotely possible.
• Room for your ideas/creativity
• Free lunch, social drinks, and team events

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.

How to apply

Would this role suit you? Send us your resume and cover letter (in Dutch or English) to hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

Questions?

Visit our website for more information on The Great Bubble Barrier or get in touch at hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by conducting research. As a research intern you are the person that will bring valuable insights into our Bubble Barrier mission. You are a creative thinker who likes to put ideas into action, test your assumptions and validate your hypotheses with some hands-on experiments. Are you the intern we’re looking for? Then send us your CV and your motivation!

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier. Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

With an internship at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be a part of our dynamic team where everyone is dedicated to save our oceans from plastic pollution.  Our mission is to implement more Bubble Barriers to stop as much riverine plastic pollution from flowing to sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just like Amsterdam, many cities cope with different challenges in the cities’ waters; plastic pollution, low oxygen levels, low ecological water quality, salination of waters and surrounding agricultural lands, and many more. Bubble Barriers are a possible solution to more than one challenge. Research on these added benefits still needs to be designed, needs experimentation, and could provide just the additional data needed to implement Bubble Barriers on a larger scale.

Your Research

Besides merely removing plastic from the water, we believe an installed Bubble Barrier provides more beneficial effects. One of these effects is the prevention of saltwater intrusion. As sea levels rise along the coasts, saltwater can move onto the land. Known as saltwater intrusion, this occurs when storm surges or high tides overtop areas low in elevation, such as in the Netherlands. Saltwater intrusion is a threat to agriculture and biodiversity of inlands. Bubble curtains are already used for preventing saltwater intrusion. These specific bubble curtains are usually near the sea in deltas or estuaries, where our Bubble Barriers are often installed further inland. Higher salinity can still form a problem behind locks, sluices or pumping stations. You could find out whether or not, the Bubble Barrier has a reducing effect on salination, answering the following research questions:

• What are the salination levels before and after the Bubble Barrier
• What is (or could be) the minimizing effects on saltwater intrusion due to the installation of a Bubble Barrier?

Skills & requirements

We are looking for a Bachelor student in the final year or a Master student with a background in (aquatic) ecology, land & water management, environmental engineering, biology, environmental sciences, earth sciences or likewise.

• You like to take initiative
• You are flexible and enjoy challenges
• You can work independently
• You work in a structured manner and are able to present your thought processes to your team
• You are vocal about the challenges you’re facing and actively seek help if you need it
• An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

• Your internship will be compensated with €275,- per month
• Travel cost compensation (public transport)
• Flexible work hours / working remotely possible
• Room for your ideas/creativity
• Free lunch, social drinks, and team events

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.

How to apply

Would this role suit you? Send us your resume and cover letter (in Dutch or English) to hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com.

Questions?

Visit our website for more information on The Great Bubble Barrier or get in touch at hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com