Marine Biology Degree

[backyardbum1]

HI. i was just wondering if anyone could tell me some information about a degree in marine biology. I am especially intrested in marine mammology. would it be hard to specialize in mammals or fairly easy? What kind of options would I have after I graduated? Thanks for the help!!!

 

[drbill]

A LOT of people have an interest in marine mammals, therefore it is usually hard to get anything other than low paying field assistant jobs with just a BS or a BA. If you really want to do work in this field I'd recommend adopting a personal lifestyle of "voluntary simplicity," marry a rich woman (or man if you're already one) or go on to get your Ph.D.

Sorry to give such a "promising" forecast, but it really is an area where a lot of people want to work.

 

[backyardbum1]

Thanks. Say I just throw out the mammal part and just go for marine biology in general say a masters degree. how open is this field. by the way i am a female but im am using my boyfriend's name backyardbum1 just thought id let you know. thanks again.

 

[ryt]

I go to the Univ of Hawaii at Hilo for Marine Science. Its a BA program that is quite biologically intensive, but also covers other things (phys oceanography, chem oceanography). Most universities won't offer a marine bio degree, but instead offer a bio degree with a marine emphasis, which varies from a really good program, to crap.

Try to go to a school on a coast, a lot of marine bio schools are land locked, which leads to getting no field experience, which is crucial for a job.

Coastal Carolina has a good program, Univ of Hawaii at Hilo is a nice small school for Marine Science. As for marine mammals I would say its not good to limit yourself to something that specific, cause then your stuck with it, even if you did a marine bio or science degree you could still do a thesis with mammals, take mostly mammal classes, but still not narrow your scope.

 

[waterwraith]

I hold a B.S. in Marine Biology and am finishing my Masters. A marine biology program is not easy it will take a lot of hard work and dedication. You will work harder than you ever thought possible. But the rewards are worth it. I have thoroughly enjoyed working in this field and would highly recommend it. There are many great programs out there ( too many to list). Since everybody wants to study marine mammals, marine mammology is hard to get into. Not to worry though, you will probably change your mind about ten times about what you want to do before you settle on an area of interest.

What you really need to understand is that there are many sub disciplines of marine biology. (ecology, physiology, botany, natural history, behavior, evolution, etc. or any number of combinations). Your first step will be to decide in which direction you want to go. Once you get your bachelors you should have an idea what you want to do. From there you really need go on to earn your Masters and PhD, A bachelors degree simply won’t cut it.

Another thing you need to understand is that there are not many places hire people to work as marine biologist. In fact most of the jobs out there are volunteer work. Ninety-nine percent of marine biologists hold a position at a university, through which they do research.

The first thing you need to do is search out colleges with marine programs you might want to attend. Contact the professors teaching in that field and ask about the program. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, most professors will be happy to give you information. Also, don’t sweat the occasional jerk you are likely to find. Just tell them to shove it.

This is getting long and there is more I can tell you. if you would like more information feel free to PM me.

 

[daniel f aleman]

I also have a B.S. in Marine Biology; and I agree with drbill and waterwraith. You really need to think in terms of getting a M.S. and specializing: pick a particular mammal, or species, and learn all that you can to the point where your research will be new. If you are smart, and really have something new to offer, your skills will be valued.

 

[archman]

We could always use some more polychaete specialists. And the field of marine mycology is wide open!

 

[Griff_1984]

haya
i'm currently in the second year of a MSc in marine biology. i totally agree with what has been said so far but would also advise pick your university very carefully. marine biology is very competitive if you don’t have a top class degree from a world respected university (in the field) then you have little hope of studding the exciting stuff. the top three uni's as far as i know are Florida US Sydney Oz and Southampton UK. these are the big big research places. as for mammals, volunteering as much as possible its the only way to get into it. i can suggest some programmes but they all cost because of the training required. you might be able to get sponsored though?
in my option and degree in marine biology can lead to a lot of jobs but if you are serious about the mammals then i would get in touch with some conservation groups and see if you can work with them.
oh and if you don’t care for plankton marine biology may not be for you. you learn a lot about plankton.

For more info just post again and I will try to answer as truthfully as I can

Griff

 

[Kwbyron]

Marinebio.org has a lot of info and links to job postings, internships, college info and such. I'm not affiliated with it, but have used it quite a bit. I'm planning on going into Marine bio as well, working on a transfer degree right now. I didn't marry a rich woman, but she is supporting me as I go through school.