Looking For a Job in Marine Biology? Here’s What You Need to Know

For those with a passion for the ocean and everything that lives in it, there’s no better career than marine biology. From research jobs to teaching, marine biologists work across a wide range of environments, helping to improve our understanding of anything and everything under the sea.

That said, there’s a lot to know before building a career in marine biology. You’ll want to take the time to thoroughly research the different job roles, their qualifications, and the day-to-day experience of working them. So let’s take a closer look at the watery world of marine biology to help you get a head start on your career!

What Marine Biology Jobs Are There?

When people think of marine biology, they usually think of research heavy roles – traveling to tropical countries and studying exciting species like dolphins and turtles.

Those jobs do exist but in reality they make up a small – and hotly contested – fraction of the careers you can pursue with a marine biology degree. So what else is there?

Well, firstly, there’s just about any job involving the handling and care of ocean creatures. These jobs require people who are knowledgeable and passionate about the animals they’re looking after. There’s also the academic teaching route, which can be a great way to build connections within the industry while also staying up to date on the latest research.

On top of that, there’s a whole swathe of government jobs, studying and gathering data in order to best inform/advise policy on sustainable fishing regulations and environmental protection.

Although marine biology can be a risky subject to pursue due to its competitiveness, the field is a lot larger than you might think and there are always fallback options if you don’t manage to land your absolute dream job.

Qualifications and Opportunities

One thing it’s important to note is that the best opportunities follow the best qualifications. Marine biology is a highly competitive field and a bachelors is very unlikely to get you into any kind of research position. If you’re okay working in an aquarium and feeding the fishes then a bachelors will be perfectly adequate but if you want to be pushing forward the boundaries of cutting edge research then you’ll need to go further.

Generally speaking, your best option for practical field work is to do a PhD. That will open many doors for you, showing that you have really specialist knowledge of this niche field. That said, it’s important to remember that research grants can be sparse so if you want to go down this route, job stability will always be low.

That said, if it’s something you’re passionate about then a PhD is still well worth pursuing as it can open further doors no matter which area of the field you ultimately choose to work in.

What’s It Like to Work as a Marine Biologist?

This, of course, will depend a lot on the specific job you’re doing. Marine biologist hours can vary massively with some keeping a healthy 9-5 while others can be up at every hour of the day. This is particularly true on research trips where everything from the tide to the temperature and even the time of year can make a huge difference to your working hours.

Now, it’s worth noting that while marine biology might sound like a globe-trotting adventure, even the most exciting work in the field still comes with a fair few hours spent behind a desk. After all, there’s no use gathering data unless you study your results carefully. In fact, this kind of data-focused work will be true in any aspect of the field outside the practical, hands-on work of animal care.

When all’s said and done however, the world of marine biology really is as broad as an ocean. So if you’re not entirely set on one direction, you can always pursue your degree first and see where that takes you.