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Have you ever watched sea grass sway in the current as rays of sunshine sliced through
clear blue water? Have you ever seen a sea turtle swimming easily through the reef? Have you
ever swam off the edge of an oceanic cliff and seen nothing but shadow and darkness below
you? Because I have. Scuba diving in Mahogany Bay was one of the most fantastic experiences
of my life, seeing the fish glide through the water with delicate ease and coral mountains trying
to spear the surface, reaching for the untouchable sun. There is not a view on the surface that
could ever compare to the one I had in the grip of the ocean waters.
With such a magnificent world hidden underneath the oceans surface, I questioned for
the first time whether I wanted to spend my life studying the world above. Ever since I was a
child I knew I wanted to study veterinary science, I never questioned it, never hesitated. Until
that moment when I returned to the surface and all I wanted was to slip back into the oceans
depths. With such a magnificent world to explore, how could I ever limit myself to studying
whats on the surface? How could I become a vet without even exploring the option of studying
this mysterious world, how could I pass on the chance to become a marine biologist?
In general, a marine biologist studies animals and other wildlife in a marine
environment. Though the field of marine biology can be broken up into many other fields
including fish and wildlife biologist, naturalist, zoologist, environmental specialist, and many
others. Yet all of these fields require knowledge in computer systems, physics, mathematics and
statistics, oceanography, and technical writing. Not only is knowledge important,
communicating with others, organizing and prioritizing work, documenting/ recording
information, analyzing data, ability to perform physical activities, and training and teaching
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others are all important skills to have while trying to do this job. For all of these requirements
the average yearly salary for a marine biologist is $53,300, but the usual entry level position
offers $41,400 annual salary and experienced employees earn around $67,200 (Marine
Biologist). The best advice comes from marine biologist Stephen Jewett when he says do not
go into this field to make lots of money; if you do you will likely not be content for long. This
career pays fairly well, but there are others that pay better. This career field has a faster than
average projected growth, it is expected to grow between 14%-20% between the years of 2010-
2020, which is within the time frame that I would be finishing my degrees for entry level
positions (Science).
To gain all of the knowledge and skills that are required for this profession I obviously
must attend college and obtain at least a bachelors or masters degree in marine biology,
biology, or zoology in order to be qualified for entry level marine biologist positions. As time
goes on, if I want to obtain the ability to conduct my own research or to teach at a university I
would have to obtain a PhD. Yet even before college, I have a majority of the recommended
courses to take while still in high school, including biology, chemistry, physics, algebra,
geometry, and calculus ( Science). Stephen Jewett puts it simply, My advice to you - first, take
all the math and sciences you can; these classes are essential, especially if you want to go to
graduate school. While schooling is all well and good I would also have a need for more hands
on experience, so taking workshops or attending seminars could be a great way to learn new
ideas and skills, this is especially important if I would ever want to publish my work or perform
cutting edge research (Science). Jewett advocates for vocational training, describing why its
important before deciding on a career, During my senior year I did some training with a dentist
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and that experience made me decide I did NOT want to be a dentist. After I graduated from
college I was drafted and went in the Navy. That military experience, coupled with my years on
the Maine coast and my biology degree all pointed toward pursuing a graduate degree in the
marine sciences. So not only are workshops, seminars, and vocational training an important
way to gain experience and the important skills I would need in this career field, they are also a
very good way to know if this is what I truly want to do with my life or if I need to get out now
and start on to something I might enjoy more.
Yet, what could be more enjoyable than spending time in the ocean? Jewett describes
his favorite parts of the job as being able to conduct my research throughout the coastal
Alaska, which has more coastline that the rest of the continental US. I also utilize SCUBA diving
as a research tool. In other words, I conduct most of my research by diving. Another facet of
my career to be able to publish my research in scientific journals and books. I also travel
extensively for meetings and presentations and my travels have taken me throughout the US as
well as several foreign countries. Depending on a marine biologists specialized area their daily
routines can vary, though most do have a lab where they are able to record and test their
experiments, they may spend all day or only part time in the lab. When marine biologists arent
in the lab they are usually outdoors, this means their day can be greatly affected by weather
and the animals they study. To make the day even more unpredictable marine biologists can be
called upon to help with marine-animal rescue missions, such as after an oil spill, or they may
have to travel in order to present their findings at conferences or workshops. On the job marine
biologists could do a number of things, including studying aquatic plants and animals, teaching
and supervising students, performing research at universities, cultivate and breed aquatic life,
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study the effect of parasites on a marine environment, or collect and analyze data using
computers(Science). Truthfully a marine biologists day just depends on what exactly they need
to accomplish at that point in time, it depends on what their researching and at what point they
are in their research. Though marine biology seems to be an incredibly interesting field, Im not
blind to the less appealing parts of the job. Jewett described his least favorite part of the job as
Searching for research funding, which includes extensive time writing proposals. Despite the
unfortunate tasks that the job includes, I think that the benefits outweigh whatever aggravating
tasks I might have to perform.
Even if I find that I dont want to be a marine biologist, there are a number of career
fields that I could go into instead, including zoology or biochemistry. A zoologist would require
at least a bachelors degree and an intense interest in animals along with good logic skills. They
also need to be physically fit in order to conduct field research where theyll need to be able to
carry heavy equipment. The average annual salary is about $57,420 and the career has an
average projected growth of 7%-13%. This job is in its very basic sense studying the behaviors
and habitats of wild animals, while also working to maintain healthy populations, both in the
wild and in captivity (Zoologist). Examples of possible activities for a zoologist include
designing stimulating habitats or zoo animals, educating park visitors about wildlife, tracking
and monitoring animal populations, and taking blood samples to monitor the levels of rabies
and other diseases (Zoologist).
Even if zoology isnt a career field I find myself interested in, I could always look into
biochemistry. In general this field is about looking at the chemical processes that occur in and
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are performed by living organisms, the types of chemical reactions in cells and tissues, and they
also study how substances such as food additives and medicines affect living organisms. This
job requires at least a masters degree and an attention to details along with the ability to work
independently. Some tasks that a biochemist do includes investigating how cells work,
discovering how proteins work, developing vaccines, and developing new biofuels as an
alternative energy source. This field has an average annual wage of $79,230 and it has a
projected growth of 21% or more between the years 2010-2020 (Biochemist). Both of these
are promising options that I could pursue should I decide that marine biology is just not for me.
With all this information, the only thing left is for me to figure just exactly how to
accomplish this goal. I plan to major in biology at Wright State University, this is a major that
could take me into many fields should I ever change my mind. Once I get my degree in biology, I
plan to start working while continuing to go to school in order to specialize my career, whether
it will be in the direction of a marine biologists depends on the vocational training I decide on in
college. I feel this will be an important part of deciding if this is truly the right career for me.
Truth is marine biology is just one option, Im still figuring it out. And thats okay.





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Work Cited
Biochemist Sciencebuddies.org. Web. 25 September 2013
Jewett, Stephen. Research Full Professor Personal interview. 24 September 2013
Marine Biologist. Oceancareers.com. National Science Foundation. 26 September 2013
Marine Biologist. Sciencebuddies.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 September 2013
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist Sciencebuddies.org. Web. 25 September 2013