I am a biologist.
So, you have dreams of swimming with Flipper or training the next Shamu? Contrary to popular belief, the career of a marine biologist consists of much more than working with marine mammals or diving around coral reefs. Marine biology is the field of study concerned with ocean life and all of its biological manifestations. Areas of study include systematics, ecology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, parasitology, reproduction and development, mariculture, ocean farming, pollution biology, energy resources and conservation. Quite clearly, the field is very broad and it continues to expand.
First and foremost, if you are considering a career as a marine biologist, you must be prepared to relocate near the ocean for the majority of your career. Also, marine biologists must be able to conduct research, analyze data, have good written and oral communication skills, as well as a scientific curiosity. They identify, catalogue, and analyze different kinds of sea life. Marine biologists often use computers and statistical analysis in their research.
The majority of marine biological researchers are employed by a governmental agency or are supported by governmental grants, which means the number of jobs in the field is correlated with the amount of money that federal, state, and local governments choose to put into marine research. Most recently there has been an increased awareness among citizens, as well as governmental and corporate decision-makers, that environmental studies will result in recognizable benefits to the public and that they deserve to be supported. At present, the job market is still tight, but the prospect for well-trained professionals in Marine Biology are on the rise. Aside from government agencies, typical employers of marine biologists include: aerospace companies, colleges and universities, conservation agencies, environmental consulting firms, fisheries, food/beverage companies, hospitals and clinics, medical laboratories, military services, museums, and research institutes.
Since marine biology is an evolving and changing field, you will want to consult your Career Discovery Center for information about current local and national salary outlooks, as well as other occupational opportunities. Use the internet to visit marine biology sites and to find more information about schools offering programs in this field. Remember, perseverance and preparation are the keys to finding the career for you.
2006-12-22 16:34:43
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answer #1
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answered by Chez 4
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Marine biology is the field of knowledge relating to marine organisms. But what is a marine biologist? To many, it means being a dolphin trainer but to others it means managing a marine wildlife sanctuary. There are many answers to this question and I would say that a marine biologist is someone who works in some way in studying, observing, protecting, or managing marine organisms, be they plant or animal. If you study marine fish populations you are a marine biologist. If you manage a marine wildlife preserve and are concerned with protection of marine organisms there, then you too are a marine biologist. You know you're a marine biologist if you have a notebook or computer in which you record information often about marine organisms. But you may also be a marine biologist if you are collecting sponges, or looking for bioactive drugs that might help people in curing disease. You may be counting marine creatures, doing DNA sequencing of them, observing them in the laboratory or making theoretical models predicting their abundance once fishing is decreased. So marine biologists do many things, but what they have in common is working with marine organisms.
2006-12-22 22:28:58
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answer #2
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answered by K a r o * 2
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Im not a marine bioligist. Actually, I'm still in highschool but I know what marine biologists do. Marine biolisgists do scientific studies of plants, animals, and other organisms in the ocean. Scientists do this to find out useful ways to do with these organisms such as organism, creat raw materials, new accesories like shampoo with plants, and medicine. Marine biologists also study the relationship between the organisms and humans and also the Earth's enviroments.
Hope you read this.
2006-12-22 21:42:59
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answer #3
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answered by ☼Scientific Athletic♫ 4
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I am not a marine biologist but marine biology graduates have found successful careers in environmental conservation, fisheries protection, water management and environmental consultancies. Many of them work abroad in Europe, the USA, and in the tropics
marine biologists rarely if ever work with large marine mammals such as whales and dolphins - that type of work is mainly the domain of zoologists, and the number of vacancies world-wide is very small, unless you are willing to work unpaid for one of the various marine wildlife charities or pressure groups. Marine biologists often work at the opposite end of the size spectrum, analysing, classifying and counting bacteria, plankton, algae and less glamorous creatures such as shrimps, worms and fish larvae.
Marine biologists are interested in the processes of how marine organisms develop, relate to one another, adapt to their environment and interact with it. With increasing knowledge of how these plants and animals live today, predictions can be made about how marine ecosystems will cope with changes such as global warming, pollution, pressure from fisheries and even damage caused by tourism in sensitive areas. Some marine biologists work closely with geologists to examine fossil marine organisms, which can give important clues about climate conditions in the past.
2006-12-22 21:55:04
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answer #4
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answered by jamaica 5
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I am biologist that works with endangered salmon on the West Coast of the US. I work for the National Marine Fisheries Service. My job is to prevent people from destroying salmon spawning habitat by examining all sorts of things that people do that affect salmon - cattle grazing, building new subdivision, hydro-power dams, water pollution - and get them to do things differently with less impact.
We have many other types of marine biologists. A large number of people work on assessing population sizes of fish species that are harvested (tuna, mackerel, flounder, halibut, etc), and learning about their habits so that harvest limits can be set to keep from over-fishing. Some of these people work on boats gathering data, and other work in labs -such as mathematicians that analyze the data (some marine biologists specialize in math).
One group of people works all over the world trying to learn more about sea turtles - many are endangered - where they go, what they eat, what things are killing them, and where they breed. These folks use the information to protect turtles in many nations.
Another group works with marine mammals - whales, dolphins, manatees,sea lions, etc. to learn more about the animals and work on international treaties and agreements to protect the species.
Another group specializes in restoring and studying estuaries, coastal areas, and coral reefs. These areas are affected by coastal development and pollution. People that work in this area monitor all sorts of physical and chemical ocean conditions that affect marine life, and others study the marine life itself. I know one person that works almost entirely in restoring sea grass communities by traveling to coastal communities, getting together volunteers, and organizing people to do plant surveys, gather seeds and plants, and replant areas where the grasses have been destroyed.
There's a lot more info from this page: http://www.noaa.gov/
2006-12-22 23:36:04
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answer #5
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answered by formerly_bob 7
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Space cadet who watches water!
2006-12-22 21:37:25
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answer #6
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answered by The Git! 3
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