| Dept of Biology, Lewis and Clark College | Dr Kenneth Clifton
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Biology
221 Lecture Outline
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Course summation: what to do with what you've learned
This course has explored the abiotic and biotic marine environment and how that has influenced marine organisms both in terms of evolutionary development/diversity and in terms of ecological processes.
The combination of these factors creates unique marine communities in different parts of the world's oceans.
Bringing a Food/Sex/Death perspective do discussions of marine biology helps organize and develop hypotheses about the marine realm.
In many respects, marine science represents a frontier of inquiry.
What to do with this course
1) Make Marine Biology part of a career choice:
Like the diverse range of topics subsumed under the mantle of "marine biology", a wealth of career choices greets the prospective marine biologist.
These include: anatomy, physiology, taxonomy, ecology, evolution, behavior, psychology, molecular biology, genetics, veterinary medicine, pathology, toxicology, biostatistics, management, conservation, museum curation, and education (to name a few). In addition, a background in marine biology may be useful for many other careers, especially illustrators, photographers, graphics designers, etc. that specialize in marine topics.
Irrespective of area of specialization, a solid background in basically biology is critically important for all marine biology careers, including abilities in math, physics, and chemistry. Minors in other fields such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, environmental science can also be helpful.
Good language and technical writing skills are essential. Many people are surprised by the amount of writing involved in marine professions.
Because marine topics often transcend international boundaries, foreign language training often is useful.
Other important prerequisites: interest, curiosity, and initiative.
Many careers in Marine Biology (as well as many other areas of science) require additional education.... either a Master's or Doctoral Degree.
Choosing a graduate program requires background work:
Where are the top programs located?
Who is doing the top work and will they be accepting students in the near future?
How does a program select applicants to their school?
Here are some links to check out regarding graduate programs:
Graduate programs in marine science
Some career choices: Basic research: original studies of marine organisms
As a career, such approaches usually require a Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience.
Universities and Colleges: Teaching vs. research: Grants and big money.
Many strong programs nationwide: (most are coastal)
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
UCSB - Marine Science Institute
UCD - Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory
Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
UNC Willmington Center for Marine Science
Most have federal funding for large scale research efforts.
Research Organizations:
U.S. federal agencies involved in Marine Science include
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), US Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Naval Research, and Marine Mammal Commission.
Other Federal agencies that work on marine-related issues include the National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, NASA, NIH, Department of State, and the Smithsonian Institution (STRI, National Museum, Zoo, etc.)
Applied research: Pursuit of specific topics that are directly relevant to "human use" issues.
Graduate school is often helpful, but not required. Some programs are suspicious of PhDs.
Fisheries
Resource managers (Fish and Game programs, BLM, etc)
Resource Exploiters (Tuna Commission, Shell-food Alliance, Coastal developers, etc.)
Conservation
Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd Society, National Audubon Society, WWF, etc., etc.
Plus, many local agencies
Mariculture: Farming from the sea
Health Sciences: biomedical research, pharmaceuticals, veterinarian medicine
Zoos and Aquaria (in addition to curating or husbandry, these often have research branches)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (and research arm: MBARI)
Training programs in aquarium science are not common, but do exist: for example the Oregon Coast Community College Aquarium Science Program
Other considerations:
Type of organism: Marine mammals are extremely attractive.... it is a highly competitive field
My advice: study a problem, not a species
Careers in marine biology often do not pay terribly well (mean salary is about $50K/yr) relative to jobs requiring similar education and experience.
Some non-monetary "perks" of a career in marine biology:
Travel/Adventure (diving, ship-time, etc.)
Challenging
High-Tech
Good for the planet
2) Even if you don't make a life around marine biology, use the knowlege gained in this and other courses to make informed decisions based on knowledge and your values. An informed populace lies at the heart of a prosperous and happy human society.
Back to the Marine Biology Moodle Page