Marine Biologist
Become: Marine Biologist
Marine biologists are experts and as such you will need good knowledge in chemistry, biology, physics and ecology. You will need a keen interest in all of the above and a passion for the ocean. On top of good GCSE's and A-levels in science subjects a degree is a must. A bachelors degree in Marine Biology or other biological sciences would be the most appropriate with many students going to to Masters or PHD's in the future.
About: Marine Biologist
Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and their interactions with the environment. Because there are so many topics one could study within the field, many researchers select a particular interest and specialize in it. Specialisations can be based on a particular species, organism, behavior, technique or ecosystem. For example, marine biologists may choose to study a single species of clams, or all clams that are native to a climate or region.
Some researchers get involved in a range of activities. Alex Almario, a laboratory and field operations technician profiled on this site, provides field support for scientists conducting estuarine research. He reports that his many duties include: "boat operation and maintenance; water quality data and sample collection; wetlands, mangrove, seagrass and coral research; scuba surface support and diving; fieldwork; and wet lab ecotoxicology support."
One area of specialisation, the field of marine biotechnology, offers great opportunity for marine biologists. Marine biotechnology research presents a wide range of possibilities and applications. One focus area is the biomedical field, where scientists develop and test drugs, many of which come from marine organisms.
Marine biology is a varied and exciting job which will continue to test you mentally throughout your career and offers a wide variety of shore based and sea based postings.
Case Study
Name: J Barnes Age: Job Role: Principal Marine Biologist Company: Jacobs Company Website: www.jacobs.com Qualifications: Masters Degree Average Salary: £25000+
I currently work as a Principal Marine Biologist for an international engineering and consultancy firm (www.jacobs.com) and have been with Jacobs since 2007. Based in Southampton but working across the UK and Ireland I get involved in a wide range of projects; working around coastal power stations, ports and harbours, coastal realignments, tidal barrages for flood protection and rail and road bridge crossings of aquatic habitats. Jacobs work around the world, and some of my team have worked in Africa, the Middle East and Scandinavia – although there is plenty of projects in the UK that keep me busy!
My job is varied and I am fortunate to work in the field, lab and the office. For example in 2013 I spent time; assessing protected fish and invertebrate species in a European protected river in Scotland, working on coastal research vessels assessing fish stocks around two Welsh coastal power stations, undertaking bioaccumulation studies of mercury in fish, training to be a marine mammal observer and undertaking salt-marsh surveys of land ear marked for loss to estuary development. If I had to pick one thing I enjoy the most it would be marine fish surveys and looking at the impact of big coastal developments (such as power stations, bridges and ports) on fisheries populations. This involves looking at all of the life stages of fish, from planktonic larvae to fully grown adults, using a range of methods (nets, traps, trawls, pumps) to predict how fish use different habitats and how these species may be affected by changes to their habitat. As well as looking at the sea around the power station we also get to look at the how well the station screen fish from their water pumps. I still enjoy pulling on the dry-suit and blasting around on boats but as I get older I long for a warm office on a cold February morning waiting for the sun to come up so we can get in the water! Strangely I’m becoming more of a generalist as my career develops as there are so many more things that interest me now than when I first started out! This seems to be the reverse of many of my colleagues who are becoming more specialised but I am enjoying being able to get involved in such a wide range of projects.
Before Jacobs I worked for the Environment Agency (www.environment-agency.gov.uk), as a Technical Specialist in an ecology team, assessing biological water quality and collecting ecological data for a wide range of monitoring requirements. This included working out the response of invertebrates, plant and fish to drought, sewage discharge and intensive agricultural practices on our rivers and lakes. At the Environment Agency I worked principally in freshwaters and gained a good understanding of the ecological regulations and standards that govern how ecological resources are used.
To do all this I did a pretty mixed range of A-Levels (although one was biology) and then studied Marine Biology at Portsmouth, following it with an MSc at the School of Ocean Sciences in Bangor. The marine environment is gaining more legal protection and as such there may be a requirement for more monitoring and impact assessments associated with continuing exploitation of coastal and offshore environments. Despite this, jobs in marine biology are still quite competitive and a degree is unfortunately becoming standard in our recruits. My team has a wide range of qualifications and experiences depending on their specialisms and not all have biology as a background. For example I work alongside colleagues with training in chemistry, maths and oceanography, geography, environmental science, zoology, botany – the list is endless really. We are all encouraged to become chartered as our experience and qualifications allow – with organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (www.cieem.net), Chartered Institute of Water Management (www.ciwem.org) and Institute of Fisheries Management (www.ifm.og.uk) favoured routes. Work placements, as part of a graduate programme, are another way of getting hands on experience and a good project for final year studies!
I’m hoping to manage more projects as my career develops, stepping back from the field and laboratory work. Having spent 10 years working outside in boats, wading around in rivers and head stuck down a microscope I now want to learn how to manage large scale monitoring and assessment projects, to deal with clients, budgets and deadlines!
I genuinely stumbled into my career, picking a course that I thought I would enjoy and have been fortunate with the opportunities that have presented themselves. Despite this I would strongly recommend any career in marine biology, be it in an academic (research), regulatory (e.g. Environment Agency or Natural England) or consultancy role. It is hard to find the perfect job but staying focussed, and making the most of those opportunities that come along will go a long way to showing that you really want a marine job. I still seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time explaining to friends that marine biology isn’t all dolphins, coral reefs and scuba diving (although I know colleagues that have managed to find those sort of jobs), but I’ve had some amazing experiences and wouldn’t change the mud, rough weather and seaweed for the world!