What Is a Marine Biologist?
Marine biologists are scientists who study marine organisms, their behaviors and their relationship with the environment. Although the majority of their work is spent studying saltwater organisms, they are not limited to any one body of water. Marine biology is a broad discipline of oceanography, and those who work in this field need to have basic knowledge of other oceanography fields.
Because there are so many different disciplines, most marine biologists pick an area of interest to specialize in and conduct research on. They can choose from various specializations, including studying a particular species, organism or ecosystem, as well as climate, behaviors and other factors that further research. Some popular areas within marine biology are environmental biology, toxicology and aquaculture.
Contrary to popular belief, marine biology jobs researching marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, seals and walruses are very difficult to get because it’s an extremely popular field and funding is competitive.
How to Become a Marine Biologist
In order to become a marine biologist, you have to meet certain educational requirements before entering the field. Marine biologists are generally required to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. To begin the journey into this wonderful career, students will want to enroll in an undergraduate marine biology degree program first and foremost.
Students will study a variety of biological sciences that will foster a greater understanding of marine life. Much of marine biology is focused on molecular biology, which is the study of life processes that happen inside living cells. Students need to be well versed in molecular biology because they will use it in research to identify microscopic organisms, detect diseases, test animals for pollutants and other advanced purposes.
In addition to their major courses, students will also take basic and advanced biology, chemistry and some mathematics classes. Depending on your specialization and career goals, it may be advantageous to get an advanced degree in marine biology to stay competitive.
Marine Biologist Career Outlook & Salary
The career outlook is expected to be positive for marine biologists, thanks to an employment growth of 21% during the next decade. Just like other biological scientist jobs, marine biologists will continue to be in great demand.
However, job opportunities will be limited because marine biology is such a small field with a lot of competition. For some specialties, basic research positions can be difficult to come by if you don’t have a master’s degree or Ph.D. The same goes for some non-research jobs in marine biology because the educational requirements aren’t as strict, but competition is just as high.
Nonetheless, marine biology continues to be an attractive field with good pay and plenty of advancement opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, marine biologists made a median annual wage of $66,510 in 2009.
