The Museum is open Wed–Mon, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM. The Sea Center on Stearns Wharf is open daily, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Sea Center Opportunities

Sea Center volunteers are a community of people comprised of all ages, backgrounds, and professional and student expertise. If you have a passion for people, your community, and the conservation and stewardship of Santa Barbara’s local coastal waters and watersheds, then the Sea Center wants you!

All of our volunteers begin as Exhibit Interpreter Volunteers, an entry-level position. Once volunteers complete the minimum commitment of 4 months and 48 hours of service, they have the option to apply for one of our Advanced Volunteer Opportunities.

Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer

Share your passion for the natural world by providing engaging and educational experiences for Sea Center visitors. Perform hands-on demonstrations and give live animal presentations at our iconic Shark Cove, Intertidal Wonders, and Wet Deck exhibits. Share the diversity of Santa Barbara’s marine mammal species with visitors at our portable marine mammal exhibit. The Sea Center offers orientations throughout the year to those looking to gain valuable experience translating scientific terminology and information to aquarium visitors.

Requirements:

1. Complete Volunteer Application
2. Participate in an interview process
3. Volunteers must be over the age of 11 and volunteer with a parent or guardian if under the age of 14
4. All applicants 18 years or older must pass a background check
5. Be able to commit to one shift per week for a minimum of 4 months
6. If selected, attend the Sea Crew Orientation 
7. Pay $45 program fee which covers the cost of the volunteer uniform, name badge, and administration fee; we provide complete and partial fee waivers to the volunteer program. To apply simply email the Volunteer and Interpretation Manager and submit the form by Training #1. scvolunteer@sbnature2.org

Assist the Sea Center’s aquarist team in husbandry responsibilities, including food preparation and feeding the aquarium’s marine life, as well as maintaining the exhibits.

Requirements:

  1. Fulfill 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Contact the Volunteer and Interpretation Manager for an application
  3. Must be over the age of 14
  4. Be able to commit to one shift per week for a minimum 48 hours
  5. Participate in an interview process
  6. If selected, attend mandatory onsite training with the aquarist team

Aquarist Assistant II will maintain facility cleanliness and safety while providing high quality husbandry care. This position provides the opportunity for specialization and oversight for a particular exhibit or species of interest upon approval from the aquarist team. This position seeks to promote animal welfare and conservation while encouraging a sense of discovery. An individual will have the opportunity to enhance their content knowledge and incorporate their own creative design into a research project or exhibit enhancement.

Requirements:

  1. Fulfill 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Contact the Volunteer Manager for an application
  3. Must be over the age of 14
  4. Be able to commit to two shifts per week for a minimum of six months
  5. Participate in an interview process
  6. If selected, attend mandatory onsite trainings and check-ins with the aquarist team
  7. Undergo initial training during regularly scheduled shifts for that of an Aquarist I Volunteer

Foster a sense of stewardship in the next generation of marine scientists. Help our Mighty Sea Squirts investigate and explore Santa Barbara’s unique marine environment during the spring, summer, and winter camp seasons.

Requirements:

  1. Complete 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Contact the Volunteer Manager for an application
  3. Participate in an interview process
  4. Volunteer applicants must be 14 years of age and older
  5. Be able to commit to one shift per week over the camp season
  6. If selected, attend a mandatory training session.

Inspire a thirst for discovery of the natural world through outreach events and interactions with school groups that visit the Sea Center.

Requirements:

  1. Complete 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Contact the Volunteer Manager for an application
  3. Participate in an interview process
  4. Volunteer applicants must be 14 years of age and older
  5. Commit to one shift per week throughout the school year (9:45 AM-12:45 PM, Monday-Friday).
  6. If selected, attend a mandatory training session

Harness your wonder and awe of the ocean by discovering the diversity of life at the bottom of the food chain. Share your findings and the ecological importance of these creatures with Sea Center visitors.

Requirements:

  1. Complete 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Commit to one Plankton Monitoring shift per week
  3. Participate in training sessions and shadow shifts

Greet Sea Center guests before they enter the exhibit hall and share information about all the exciting programs and activities scheduled throughout the day.

Requirements:

  1. Complete the Sea Crew Orientation
  2. Be able to commit to one shift per week

Dive deep into the underwater world just below the floors of the Sea Center and share with guests the rich history of diving in the Santa Barbara Channel. Share our Live Dive Program with guests with an interactive map of the structure below Stearns wharf and tend for our divers when we send them below!

  1. Complete 48 hours of volunteering as an Exhibit Interpreter Volunteer
  2. Open water SCUBA certified (PADI, NAUI, SSI, or equivalent)
  3. Be able to commit to three shifts per month over a 5 month period between May/June through September/October.
  4. Participate in training sessions and shadow shifts

Volunteers collecting litter at East Beach, Santa Barbara

Ocean Ambassador

Be a part of the solution to marine pollution! Our quarterly beach cleanups at East Beach have been postponed for now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference on your own. Get some fresh air while you participate in a noble cause: collecting and categorizing litter. Collecting litter—on the beach, along waterways, and in neighborhoods with creeks and storm drains—keeps trash out of the ocean and protects the planet. Categorizing and counting what you find adds to data analyzed by scientists and used by policymakers. Use the Ocean Conservancy’s PDF to report what you collect, or use the Clean Swell app on your smart phone to go paperless. Use common sense; wear protective gear and maintain distance with people outside your household.

This volunteer opportunity is open to anyone who wants to participate, and can be done anywhere and on your own time.

If you would like to get community service hours signed off on, we just ask that you send us proof of your cleanup (photos of you and the trash you collected, and your data collection results) to scvolunteer@sbnature2.org. We cannot sign off on court-ordered community service hours.

Sign up here

Questions about volunteering at the Sea Center? Contact the volunteer coordinator at 805-962-2526 ext. 104 or scvolunteer@sbnature2.org.