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Under the Sea

So you want to become a 
Marine Biologist


There are several divisions of ocean study, such as Physical Oceanography, chemical oceanography, geological oceanography, biological oceanography, and of course, marine biology.  We at Under the Sea,  specialize in the education side of these fields but also participate in some research.  Here are a few suggestions on how you may pursue the goal of becoming a marine biologist or other kind of marine scientist:

1- Bathe every day - no one likes a stinky person so remember -  ya ain't gonna work here smelling like that!  And brush your teeth, too!  Seriously, hygiene will aid you in getting any job.

2- Read - I mean everything.  The more you know, the further you go.  Heck, if you fail to achieve the goal of Marine Biologist, at least you will be ready for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!

3- Take Notes - Every time you learn something new, into the note book it goes.  Every time you read a book, write down the title, author, and summary of the book, as well as things that you learned from the book and things you disagree with.

4- Question statements - You won't believe how many books, especially kids' books, we have read that have misinformation.  If you have doubts about the information, do some research to find the truth, then, go back to suggestion #3.

5- Expand your skills - It is important to be knowledgeable about your field of expertice but often, it is equally important to have other skills that may be useful at times.  Some of these skills may be navigation, boat handling, SCUBA diving, aquarium keeping, and animal collecting.  Be willing to learn.

6- Keep an open mind - Do not concentrate on any one division of marine biology until you are in college.  We highly recommend that your undergraduate study (first years of college) be in biology and graduate studies be in marine biology.  You may find out that ocean science is not for you but if the majority of the courses you have taken are in that field, they will not transfer to another major.  Get a good biology and chemistry foundation and then start to take specialty courses.

7- Learn to write and communicate well.  Researchers have to publish their findings so writing is an indispensable skill.  

8- Volunteer - Few people at Sea World or the Baltimore Aquarium started jobs without first volunteering.   Locally in the DC area there are many opportunities - The National Zoo, the National Aquarium in DC, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Nature Centers even Under the Sea accepts volunteers.  You will meet others with your ambitions and start to learn skills that will increase you chances of getting a job in a variety of ocean science fields.

9- Talk to others in the job field you are interested in and ask them what they did to get into their field.  

10- Be curious - Curiosity may have killed the cat, but cats rarely train to be marine biologists!  The more you wonder, the more you'll work to find answers to your questions, and the more you'll learn!

 

Top Schools in Marine Studies

There are over 65 colleges and universities that offer undergraduate degrees in marine studies.  We are trying to list them here, so if you know of one that is not listed, please e-mail us!  The following schools may offer one of the following degrees:

Physical Oceanography

Chemical Oceanography

Geological Oceanography

Biological Oceanography

Marine Biology

Aquaculture

 

(U) - Denotes undergraduate program 
(G) - Denotes graduate program 

United States 
Alabama 

Dauphin Island Sea Lab Member Institutions (U&G) 

Alaska 


University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate Program (G) 

Arizona 
Arkansas 


University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Fisheries & Aquaculture (U) 

California 

California State University at Monterey Bay
(U) 
California State University at Monterey Bay/Moss Landing Marine
Labs (G) 
Humboldt State University - Aquarium Science (U) 
Humboldt State University - Fisheries (U&G) 
San Diego State University/Coastal and Marine Institute (G) 
University of California Santa Barbara - Ecology, Evolution &
Marine Biology
(U&G) 
University of California Santa Barbara - Graduate Program in
Marine Science
(G) 
University of California Santa Cruz (U&G) 
University of California San Diego/Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
(G) 
University of Southern California (G) 
 

Colorado 

Colorado State University - Fisheries
(U&G) 
Colorado State University (U&G) 

Connecticut 

University of Connecticut (G) 

Delaware 

University of Delaware (G) 

District of Columbia 
Florida 


Florida Institute of Technology Marine Biology
(U&G) and
Oceanography & Ocean Engineering (U) 
Florida State University (U&G) 
Nova Southeastern University (U&G) 
University of Florida (U&G) 
University of Miami Undergraduate Program (U) and 
Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science (G) 
University of South Florida (G) 
University of West Florida (U) 

Georgia 

University of Georgia (U&G) 

Hawaii 

University of Hawaii (U&G) 
University of Hawaii at Hilo/Kalakaua Marine Education Center (U) 

Idaho 

University of Idaho Aquaculture Research Institute (U&G) 

Illinois 
Indiana 
Iowa 
Kansas 
Kentucky 


Kentucky State University Aquaculture Program (G) 

Louisiana 

Louisiana State University Center for Coastal, Energy &
Environmental Resources
(G) 

Maine 
University of Maine School of Marine Sciences(U&G) 
University of New England (U) 

Maryland 
  University of Maryland (G) 

Massachusetts 
Massachusetts Institute of Technologyl (U) 
MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program (G) 
Northeastern University (U&G) 
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (U&G) 

Michigan 
Minnesota 


University of Minnesota - Fisheries
(U&G) 

Mississippi 

Mississippi State University Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries
(U&G) 
University of Southern Mississippi Institute of Marine Sciences (G) 

Missouri 
Montana 
Nebraska 
Nevada 
New Hampshire 


University of New Hampshire Institute for the Study of Earth,
Oceans and Space
(G) 


New Jersey 

Richard Stockton College
(U) 
Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences (G) 

New Mexico 
New York
 

Colubmia University Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (U&G) 
SUNY Cobleskill - Fisheries & Aquaculture (U) 
SUNY Stony Brook Marine Biology (U) 
SUNY Stony Brook Marine Sciences Research Center (U&G) 

North Carolina 

Duke University/Nicholas School of the Environment - Marine
Laboratory
(U&G) 
East Carolina University's Program in Maritime Studies (G) 
North Carolina State University (U&G) 
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (U&G) 
University of North Carolina at Wilmington Marine Biology &
Physical Oceanography
(U) 
University of North Carolina at Wilmington (G) 

North Dakota 
Ohio 
Oklahoma 
Oregon 


Oregon State University
(G) 

Pennsylvania 
Rhode Island 

University of Rhode Island
(U) 
University of Rhode Island/Graduate School of Oceanography (G) 

South Carolina 

Coastal Carolina University
(U) 
College of Charleston Grice Marine Laboratory (U&G) 
University of South Carolina (U&G) 

South Dakota 
Tennessee 
Texas 


Texas A&M University
(U&G) 
Texas A&M University at Galveston (U&G) 
Texas A&M University/Institute of Nautical Archeology (G) 
University of Texas at Austin (U&G) 

Utah 
Vermont 
Virginia
 

College of William & Mary/Virginia Institute of Marine Science (G) 
Old Dominion University (G) 

Washington 

University of Washington (U&G) 

West Virginia 
Wisconsin 
Wyoming 


International 
Australia 

Flinders Institute for Atmospheric and Marine Sciences (U&G) 
Flinders University of South Australia's Lincoln Marine Science
Center
(U&G) 
James Cook University(U&G) 

Canada 

Dalhousie University (G) 
Georgian College, Orillia Campus - Marine Technology (U) 
University of British Columbia (U&G) 
University of Victoria (U&G) 

Job advertisements

Most jobs in marine biology and related fields are government related.  Here are some recent job announcements to give you an idea of what the pay scale is and qualifications are.

Subject: OPS Opportunity - GIS Manatees
TITLE: OPS Research Staff - GIS Manatees
RATE OF PAY: $14.00 per hour, 40 hours week, No Benefits
LOCATION: St. Petersburg, FL (Pinellas County)
SECTION: Endangered and Threatened Species - Manatees
CLOSING DATE: Open Until Filled
DUTIES: The position provides technical assistance and problem solving support to FWC staff in their use of GIS for natural resource decision-making. Utilizes ARC/INFO Geographic Information System (GIS) software to assist in creating and managing marine mammal related databases. Assists the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Endangered and Threatened Species Research Program by building, maintaining, and analyzing marine mammal specific and ancillary environmental spatial datasets. Integrates spatial data to provide section researchers with information associated with marine mammal distributions and habitat utilizing ARC/INFO, ARCVIEW, and Imagine software. Locates and retrieves biological data from in-house and outside sources pertinent to the development of sectional component of the Marine Resource GIS.  Organizes data verification processes, including programming, plot
production, correspondence, file updates, and archiving. Supports tasks for database queries and development. 
DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A bachelor's degree with a major in one of the physical or natural sciences or geography and one year of related professional experience; or A master's degree in one of the physical or natural sciences or geography.
DESIRED ENTRY-LEVEL KNOWLEDGE, SKILL(S) AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of a natural science or geography. Skilled in the use of GIS software, ARC/INFO AND Arcview. Familiar with raster-based programs such as ERDAS/IMAGINE. Ability to create and modify ARC/INFO coverages from a variety of sources. Familiarity with ARC Macro Language (AML) and/or AVENUE and/or Visual Basic are highly desirable. Working knowledge of database management tools such as Microsoft Access, INFO or dBASE is required. This position requires a basic level knowledge of the UNIX or Windows NT/2000 operating systems.
TO APPLY: Submit a completed State of Florida Employment Application to: (an application can be downloaded from www.myflorida.com) 
 
 Leslie Ward 
 Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
 Florida Marine Research Institute
 100 Eight Avenue SE
 St. Petersburg, FL 33701
 (727) 896-8626 ext 1906 
 leslie.ward@fwc.state.fl.us for more info
 
An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Federal Law requires that we hire only U.S. Citizens and lawfully authorized aliens who can provide proof of their identity and employment eligibility.