Marine Biology - Recommendations?

[coldwaterdiver9]

For marine bio education, perhaps your friend's daughter might like to investigate Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

http://www.disl.org/

There is a page with links to all partner universities. Diving in conjunction with a university program is scientific diving, and as others have mentioned, it's not necessary. Universities deal with diving through AAUS.

In general, students are usually advised to do graduate work at a university besides their undergrad alma mater. This research station has some wonderful opportunities. The partner universities to DISL would offer her a good foundation should she choose to move on to Woods Hole, Scripps, or Texas A&M for graduate work. Please let me know if she would like some contacts or introductions. I'd be happy to help her out.

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[1dondino]

My daughter is also considering a marine biology degree. The two schools we are considering are College of Charleston, SC, and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Both of these schools appear to have great programs.
Don

 

[archman]

I've heard good things about the Charleston program. The marine bio faculty are relatively young and spunky, and the facilities are modern. They have a very diverse program, with a lot of fish and vertebrate people. That's good for undergrads, as they typically lose interest with the oceanographic schools that stress plankton, genetics, and chemistry (YUK!). If someone wants to get into that mess its recommended as a grad student.
I'm acquainted with the new graduate program director, Dave Owens. He works with sea turtles and is a superb teacher. The deep sea guy over there (Scott France) is really good too.
I don't think they have a marine mammal program, which is a big negative for a MASSIVE fraction of undergrad marine bio majors. I think Texas A&M at Galveston has the premier program in that area, but oh lord what an ugly campus. They lose between a third and half of their incoming marine biology freshmen every year.


The downside of any school in Alaska is that you're not going to get much fieldwork done till everything THAWS. Expect to be in classrooms and labs a lot.

Keep in mind that like many science majors, your daughter will actually take few or no marine biology courses until her junior year. And few schools offer more than a double handful of these classes at the undergraduate level. So take a good look at the degree plan before you pick a school, and see what the field facilities are. Do they have lots of field trips? Are the lab facilities geared for teaching or research? There are a ton of shrewd questions you need to ask, and like any college the campus should really be visited.

 

[Tavi]

I have a good friend who started working toward an education in Marine Biology. When he learned that the field was super-saturated, and that most jobs would be long hours and low pay, he changed his plans. He is now a Chiropractor, and also teaches Physiology at a nearby College. Now he is pursuing his continuing dive education, and taking warm water dive trips regularly!!

Then again following dreams is okay too. It would be like being a Dive Instructor, Doing what you love to do for next to nothing $.

 

[scubaspider]

Texas A&M at Galvaston is very good. Also, I recomend that your daughter doesnt specialize right away. A general biology background would be better first. I'm currently persuing marine biology, and at first I wanted to study cancer and viruses. They still interest me but w/ scuba, I've decided I would like to work w/ animals and incorporate diving, thus marine biology. I'm currently not in a marine biology program because I'll specilize in grad school, and get my general background now. Also, another issue to think about, is private versus state/public. Private instutitions will give her more "hands-on" with equipment and instruction. I'm attending a private institution and I love it, and the program, I've learned to operate numerous expensive equipment since I was a freshman. One example is the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) machine which was standard practice my sophmore year for organic chemistry lab. So, she has a lot of options to think about but like I said, I do recomend getting a general biology education first and specializing in grad school.

Good Luck

 

[cstreu1026]

I wouldn't totally agree that a private university will allow you more hands on time with a lot of technical gear....at least not any more than a good public institution. I attend what could be one of the most under funded public universities in this country and I still have had plenty of access to high equipment such as NMR. Most public schools seem to value natural sciences since research discoveries bring in big bucks.

 

[archman]

I totally agree on the private university thing. This is a common mistake, as most private schools are small and public schools are large. You will most likely find equal if not superior hands-on experience at a small public school.

Oh yeah another excellent (but little known) field school is Texas A&M Corpus Christi. It's small, very pretty and they have the best field location for undergraduates in the state (but there's only two other programs to compare with).

You know what, this is my number one recommendation. Corpus Christi is a superb birding area, full of dolphins, easy access to ALL SORTS of wetlands (including hypersaline lagoons), prominent scuba programs, and psychotic ichthyologists. The Texas State Aquarium is in town (where you can volunteer), and Padre Island (decent surfing) nearby. The school is REALLY laid back with a semi-tropical/tex-mex culture, and they do field trips out the wazoo.

It's also CHEAP. Heck, why am I NOT THERE?!

 

[rjens]

Kids will be kids and aren't the most receptive to practical advice (I have two in college my self), but let me tell you my sister's brother in law's story. I will leave it to you to see if it applys.

He wanted to be a forest ranger due to his love for nature. He got his degree in forestry, but couldn't get a job, and realized that when he did get one he wouldn't be able to support a family. About that time he noticed that his bother in law (a dentist) had plenty of money and only worked 3 days a week. So he went to dental school. He now lives in Oregon, works 3 days a week -- has plenty of time and the money to camp, fish and hunt to his hearts content.

 

[scubadude010]

the Rosenthiel (sp?) School at the Univerisity of Miami... expensive, but well-regarded.

Yup, that's what I think too. I got a letter from them a couple of months ago, and that's one of their main topics were Marine Biology. That's where I'm planning on going to after I get out of highschool in three and a half years.

 

[adshepard]

http://hometown.aol.com/oceanstudy/Degrees/

Many colleges and universities listed here.

I am familiar with some of the New England programs and they are quite good.

DSDO

Alan