How to Become a Marine Biologist

Article by Sutiyo Na

How to Become a Marine Biologist – Education – Science

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A lot of individuals dream of becoming a marine biologist but fail to acquire the right skills and personality required for the course. Determine your interest in the subject and find out how you can cope with the requirements. You do not have to take up the actual Marine Biology course in college to be a marine biologist. You will find that there are many related courses that you can take, for you to fully enjoy your career for the long term.

School Requirements

You have to build a strong and solid educational base. Study a lot of science subjects such as chemistry, physics, biology and geology in high school. You should also study intensely and try to aim for very high grades. Also focus on your writing skills, since you will write a lot of reports and proposals in the actual job. If you want to get a graduate or doctorate degree, take up language subjects too, like German and Latin.

Do special research studies in high school and participate in science projects and conventions for students. Volunteer in research facilities and raise an aquarium. You may want to spend some money traveling to different marine labs all over the globe. Once you get to university, choose subjects that will further expand your knowledge base such as biology, physics, chemistry and biochemistry. You can also add astronomy and geology.

Choosing the School

Pick the right university and master’s graduate study school that provides you with all the knowledge, tools and skills to become competent in your field. Talk to current students and professors. Find out how training is and what are the available resources and laboratories to equip you properly. Once you get your master’s degree, you can further focus on getting a doctorate degree to earn big positions or have the privilege to become professor and teach. Spend some time comparing schools before making your final decision.

Finding the Job

There are several branches of marine biology that you can work in, depending on your credentials and specific interest. You can be several other related things like being an educator, oceanographer, ocean engineer, etc. Most of the job entails gathering data, creating proposals, teaching and making proposals and reports. Choose the institutions that focus on the studies that you are truly interested in. Find more information by visiting online discussion boards, web sites and joining actual events and forums.

Planning and Preparation

It is recommended that you look for a mentor who will guide you through the process. This way, you avoid the common pitfalls such as missing a subject or two and having to go back and study before you become qualified for the job. You should already determine the course you want to take, as well as continue learning about the requirements of the job. Assignments will vary depending on your location, the subject and the institution. You can also take up more units to become qualified in another marine profession, should you lose interest in your current work.

About the Author

Get more guidelines and complete tips on How to Be Marine Biologist , visit: www.marinebiology.getmytips.com

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Sutiyo Na

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More Marine Biologist Training Articles

The Marine Biologist

Article by Sutiyo Na

There are several features and roles that marine biologists have to assume, depending on their level of experience and expertise. You may be assigned to research different species depending on your location and assignment. You should also know the basic qualifications to make it as a marine biologist. You can be given tasks, based on your current degree.

On Research

If you intend to do research as a marine biologist, you need to finish college with a Bachelor of Science degree (4 years) at the very least, preferably from a known university offering specialization in marine sciences. Having this degree will allow you to work as a lab technician or on a ship running samples. You may also be assigned as a scientist. It is recommended that you have good grades in high school too.

A bachelor’s degree is not actually enough qualification to permit you to work as a scientist wherein you do your own research. You will need to get a master’s degree at the very least, but given the current employment conditions, you will also need a PhD in Marine Biology, lasting 4 to 5 years. As soon as you finish the PhD, you will be required to spend 3 to 4 years more in positions referred to as post-doctoral fellow. You can be hired as a temporary contract position by a scientist to run a part of the research semi-independently. As soon as you complete the stage, you will be considered qualified enough to be hired by a government agency, university or private research group.

Things to Do

As a marine biologist, you need to perform an active research program which includes publishing the results in peer-reviewed journals. You are also expected to review documents from other existing researchers in your field. If you are currently employed in a university, you will be tasked to teach, as well as supervise the training of research students at the PhD and Master’s level. You will need to be an active member of the community, such as joining committees in the academic department. You may also be tasked to apply for research grants. Funds are highly needed to do research.

About the Course and Other Requirements

Marine Biology is usually a major course in many universities. You can also choose to specialize further by going for areas like benthic biology or living on the ocean bottom, ichthyology or fish studies, etc. It is important to have a very keen mind, as well as the ability to be meticulous and careful. A lot of research will need you to repeat the same work again and again. Majority of scientific research does not lead to awards. You have to be patient with the developments. You will need to have a lot of positive reinforcement to stick to the course for the long term.

Tips to Get In

Always aim for good grades to stay competitive and possibly get scholarships. Focus on your writing skills and train more in your maths and computer programs. You should always volunteer as an assistant if the opportunity comes up, since what you learned in university may not entirely be the same as the actual job you will be performing once you get out of school. You will adjust to the situation more as you get more experience.

This is a video created as part of a training program to get girls excited about careers in technology. This eipsode focuses on a Marine Biologist. The entire project can be found at www.cisco.com/edu/careercapture
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Education and Career Based Aspects towards Being a Marine Biologist

The field of marine biology is very similar to other fields of biology, but the sources along with the targeted study are different. Like the name suggests, a marine biologist works in the field of research and study of life forms (including plant life) that flourish under the sea. 
Most of the aspects of study can be accommodated in 3 facets as follows: Study of the habitat and all the major and minor factors affecting itStudy of animals along with the plant life (flora and fauna)Life cycle and scope 
The roles and responsibilities of marine biologists focus on the cycle – observation, research and experimentation. A major part of their working includes performing experiments in a controlled and calculated nature to understand all the factors, and this forms a basis of further exploration. Mostly, they are required to take specimen to laboratories to conduct experiments and for research purposes. 
With the knowledge of sea creatures and plant life, they work as a part of rescue missions and other emergency issues related to sea (including oil spills). 
Education Based Requirements
Bachelor’s degrees and masters degrees are offered at many universities and colleges.

Degrees in biology and other related fields can also offer opportunities in the field of marine biology. Theoretical aspects involve a lot of online education while practical training is adjusted via laboratory work and visits. 
Job Prospects 
The exciting field of being a marine biologist however doesn’t have a very good employment outlook, but researchers who are fascinated with marine life can choose this field after working in other scientific fields. 
Many marine biologists often author books, journals and even articles in science based magazines.  This field also offers many excellent opportunities for paper presentations during seminars and conferences. The teaching field offers many employment opportunities to folks who have completed masters in marine biology. Salary aspects are decent and pay packages increase with experience.  These biologists often form a part of TV programs and documentaries related to marine life. 
Marine biologists often get to visit many exciting places in terms of flora and fauna. Government sectors and study projects also offer many opportunities to scientists excelling in marine life.

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Marine Biologist – Studying Marine Mammals

Studying marine mammals may be one of the most interesting parts in a marine biologist’s profession. There are 3 main orders that you need to know about. Each category has its own unique mechanism, feeding pattern and characteristics. These animals tend to live in different places as well, others in groups and the rest in families or alone. Once you become familiar with their lifestyle and features, you get to appreciate the species more.

Cetacea Order

The whole lifecycle of the order Cetacea is aquatic. There are a couple of sub-orders founded ont he feeding mechanism – Odonticeti and Mysticeti. The sub-order Mysticeti includes baleen whales, blue whales, minke whales, grey whales and right whales. The whales feature mechanisms to boost the success feeding.

The sub-order Odonticeti includes animals like killer whales, dolphins, toothed whales and porpoises. River and coastal species reside in small home ranges if they are offshore. Others prefer warm equatorial waters, while the rest are located in every ocean like the bottle-nosed dolphins and killer whales. Some animals like big baleen whales move from the tropics for winter breeding to high latitudes for summer feeding. Animals propel themselves using the broad and boneless tail flukes. They also shed skin and exude oil as much as 12 times per day to reduce friction.

Pinnipedia Order

These animals adapt to the environment through a variety of processes. Heat conservation is done and get a low SA/V ratio and develop insulation through their hair and blubber. All the animals moult, after breeding in the summer while the others should stay out of water until everything is done.

The respiration is done by exhaling before the deep dives. They have relatively high concentrations of haemoglobin and myoglobin. The heart of the animals drop during deep dives and the blood is limited to the heart and brain. Dives can be as deep as 1700m, lasting anywhere between 80 to 160 hours.

Sirenia Order

Sirenians are sought mainly for their hide, oil and meat. They spend their entire lives in the water and are the only aquatic animals labeled as herbivores. The flat tail propels itself via paddles. These can walk at the benthic or move backwards. Locomotion is usually slow but they can also burst at around 13 knots. Sirenians inhale before they dive, just like whales.
When they breathe, they can swap about 90% of lung volume.

Manatees can see very clearly underwater, while taste and smell are retained. These touch when they greet each other and lead to chirps, between calf and mother. Dugongs can live for as long as 70 years but fecundity is rather low. The animals reach puberty at 10 years old and produce only 1 calf every 5 years. Their population has to be protected to maintain the ability to recover from environmental stress and hunting.

Interacting with Man

All animals have interactions with man, although sirenians are the most widely known to be friendly towards humans. Fishing nets and fishing lines tend to be a problem for most of these animals.

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