If you are completely intrigued by marine life and love the ocean, and if you are looking for a new career, you might want to consider becoming a marine biologist. While there is lots of studying involved, once you are finished, you can play an important role in cataloguing and preserving marine life and educating people about the importance of keeping our oceans and fresh water environments healthy.
What Do Marine Biologists Do?
There are many different jobs for marine biologists; some prefer to stick to their home towns, while others go far afield in search of new species. Careers in marine biology encompass a huge number of opportunities, as research conducted by marine biologists can be applied to a variety of commercial interests along with those environmental interests which may first come to mind. There are several different career paths to follow, and jobs are available in a number of different fields.
While some marine biologists can be neatly categorized as ichthyologists, spending most of their time studying different fishes, most wear a variety of different hats. Most study the physical properties of the sea along with marine life itself, as the two go hand in hand. So, you could end up being a biological technician part of the time, a mathematician, microbiologist, or systems analyst some of the time, and even an economist or sociologist part time. This makes a great deal of sense when you stop to consider the fact that the oceans are living resources upon which people and the health of the entire planet depend.
In general, these professionals study marine organisms, the marine environment, and interactions between various aspects of the marine ecosystem. In a field so vast, an individual can very easily spend an entire career simply studying whatever it is he or she finds most fascinating, then publishing findings or teaching others about new discoveries. The odds are good that if you know something about a particular fish, cetacean, or crustacean, it was a marine biologist who did the fact finding and published those results for the rest of us to learn from.
Becoming a Marine Biologist: The Career Path
From simple Associates Degrees to the Doctoral level and beyond, colleges and universities in many parts of the world offer programs in Marine Biology. Most notable marine biologists obtained graduate level degrees in science, such as biology, prior to moving forward with studies focusing on marine biology. Once you have completed some graduate studies, you will find that the job opportunities are many. Whether you envision yourself working in an office, a laboratory, or a classroom, or if you prefer to spend your time outdoors or underwater, these are all possibilities. Most marine biologists spend time working in a variety of different environments throughout the course of their careers.
There are many educational resources available for finding focused study programs that will take you where you want to go. While you won’t be able to spend all your time underwater in this field, and while intense study is required to make your goals a reality, the opportunities are many and the rewards are great.