Mobile Application Development
Join a real-world mobile app development internship in Costa Rica focused on building and expanding the central management application that runs every aspect of an active sea turtle conservation project. This platform is used daily by researchers, staff, and volunteers to manage field operations, data collection, and conservation reporting.
This is not a mock app or academic exercise. Interns contribute directly to a production system supporting licensed research, operational logistics, and long-term conservation data.
Project Overview
The turtle conservation project operates across beaches, hatcheries, boats, and research stations. To coordinate these efforts, we are developing a native mobile application that serves as the operational backbone of the entire program.
Engineering interns will work on features that support:
- Nesting and hatchery management
- Field data collection and validation
- Volunteer and intern coordination
- Sensor data integration (hatchery temperature, environmental data)
- Research reporting and data exports
- Secure access for different user roles
The app must function reliably in remote coastal environments with limited connectivity.
Engineering Challenges You’ll Work On
This internship emphasizes real-world mobile and backend engineering challenges rarely found in classroom projects.
Mobile App Development
- Native mobile development (Cross-platform frameworks)
- Offline-first architecture for field use
- Local data storage and sync logic
- User-friendly interfaces for non-technical users
Backend & Systems Architecture
- API design for conservation data
- Authentication and role-based access control
- Secure data storage and backups
- Scalable architecture for multi-season research data
Data & Integration Engineering
- Integrating sensor data into mobile workflows
- Standardizing biological and environmental datasets
- Data validation and error handling in the field
- Exporting data for research proposals and government reporting
UX in Conservation Environments
- Designing interfaces usable at night, on beaches, and in rain
- Minimizing data entry time during nesting events
- Preventing human error in critical conservation workflows
