For my future job i want to do something that handles aquarium fish, or marine biology, or something that ..?

Question

Or something that handles fish in major public aquariums. I would like to either gather them from the ocean, study them personally, or care for them, or all three! I would also like to work at sea world, maybe be a trainer and feeder there. What kind of job is this? What kind of schooling am I looking at? What are some jobs for this? Please help. I am currently 15, and want to know everything I can about my future career. Where would I work? What do I need to do to prepare in high school? Thank you. I guess what I am looking for is a job where I can be working with and in and around marine life. I would love a job where I could be in an ocean.

Answer 1

Copperhead gave you great advice. I would only add that should you consider applying to Sea World, know that those employees that "perform" in the dolphin and "Shamu" shows are selected from within the employee ranks. To be considered for one of these positions, you should have very strong swimming abilities, and having lifeguard certification is a big plus. You would also improve your chances of landing one of these highly sought after roles by having a SCUBA certification. Drysuit diving experience and knowledge would also be helpful.

I live in San Diego and am a certified SCUBA instructor with fairly extensive drysuit experience. Because this skill is not common, I am often contacted to assist with tank cleaning for the beluga, dolphins, penguin and orca pools. With drysuit training, you could "intern" or assist with tasks.

Good luck and keep your grades up.

Answer 2

Copperhead pointed out your question to me. I truly love working in the ornamental fish industry. I have no doubt that you would love it as well. Your question covers a broad spectrum of employment opportunities. The first thing I would recommend for you would be to contact your local aquarium to see about any volunteer programs for teens. Keep in mind that if you get the opportunity to volunteer, you need to take full advantage while you are there. Be outgoing, ask questions, and try to get to know the marine biologists and veterinarians. Treat them with respect and they will usually treat you the same. Copperhead and redd_rvt pretty much covered the courses you would want to take. As Copperhead stated, working in a privately owned fish store or a pet store with more than just a few tanks would also be great experience. As a previous store owner, I can tell you that your value and importance as an employee will increase greatly if you use your personal time to learn about the fish and drygoods that are sold in that store (and maybe a few items sold in other stores too). There are many other jobs involved in the ornamental fish industry. There are collecting stations in the Philippines, Australia, the Red Sea, etc., where you could work for exporters, doing anything from advertising to diving (getting your diving certification would be a good idea and fun too). You could work for one of the many wholesalers, who buy much of the livestock that was exported from the collecting stations. The wholesaler that employes me has buyers, sales reps, office employees, packout managers, and maintenance crews that need to know what specific gravity is, how giant protein skimmers work, etc. There are also coral propagation facilities and fish farms, where expert knowledge is necessary. It is important to have a strong background in chemistry so that you understand what and why certain chemical reactions happen in these jobs. There are also jobs working for manufacturers of drygoods. They need fish experts to help with formulating foods, designing products, etc. I am just skimming the surface, but you can feel free to email me if you have any questions that you would like a more specific answer to.

Answer 3

Going towards a degree in Marine Biology is always a good start. Look for a college that has degrees in Marine Biology. They will offer many classes including Marine life, marine mammals, etc.

Another good thing is to volunteer at an aquarium in your area. I am in L.A. and the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is always looking for volunteers to help them.

Once you start volunteering at an aquarium, talk to the people that work there, ask & see what they did to get where they are, tell them what you want to do and many times someone will help you on your way to your goal or steer you in the right direction.

Also getting SCUBA certified will be required if you want to work in the ocean.

What you can do now is to get really good at math and science. Having any type of science degree will require you to be good at math and science, and English for that matter because there will be a lot of paper writing, record keeping, and lab reports. The better you are in your schooling and the better grades you get will help you get into a good school and further your career.

Answer 4

You're covering a fairly broad area with your choices. While in highschool, you could look into advanced science and math classes, and maybe a part-time job in a pet store to get some background (try a privately owned pet store, not a "chain" company - about all you'll learn at these is how to work a cash register and stock shelves).

In college, some courses I would advise you to look into are ichthyology (study of fish), ethology (animal behavior), mammalogy (study of mammals, in case you decide to go into marine mammals), oceanography (study of the ocean, but more from a standpoint of currents, landforms, etc. than animals), and marine biology (study of marine animals and plants/algae). A good chemistry class (or water/aquatic chemistry if you can find this) is also a good idea. If you want to go into research, you will also need a statistics course. You might also want to try courses in climatology or oceanography and marketing/business (if you want to go into your own aquarium business). This will be in addition to general biology, zoology, and botany courses that will probably be prerequisites. Some universities have courses in Aquaculture (raising fish, crustaceans, and molluscs for food), and these would have more specialized courses in diseases, nutrition, etc. You may also be able to get a semester's internship at a public aquarium or zoo to get both experience and even more specialized training.

Some other areas to look into on your own would be scuba certification, first aid/CPR, and boating safety. You could also contact public aquaria/zoos near you an see if they have a volunteer program.

I'll contact another person I know who works at one of the Florida fish wholesaler, and see if he will answer your question as well.

Answer 5

It relies upon. Like the rest, you won't finally end up everywhere well worth being. some Marine Biologists could get out and learn whales or sharks. Others finally end up working in fish farms and monitoring the existence span of salmon. it somewhat is like people who learn forensic technological information by using fact they think of their existence would be like the adult males from CSI. in somewhat certainty, maximum of them finally end up sorting out junkies spit to confirm in the event that they broke into Tesco or no. It somewhat may be an exciting profession, yet you should do properly sufficient via uni to be taken in via a sturdy company that does exciting artwork.

Answer 6

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