A professional digging into marine biology is known as a Marine Biologist. From studying sharks to learning all about microorganisms, his job is to understand marine creatures' lives and how they live in their natural habitat. 

Marine Biologist is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of careers. It's a broad niche; thereby, people take an interest in ocean and sea life and explore its different parts. Some spend all their life investigating the effect of the environment on marine life, while others prefer to study large ocean animals. 

The underwater world is filled with many surprises and hidden treasures of information, so a person with curious nature gathers data and information about it. After graduation, a biologist often comp[lete specialization. 

What Does a Marine Biologist Do?

The most crucial thing in this specific job is Research as, without it, a person can't find more information and data about marine life. From classroom teaching to real-life fact-finding missions, a biologist's life moves around collecting specimens and writing reports of his/her findings.

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Now you know who is a marine biologist; now the next step is to find out the roles and responsibilities. Let's find out more.  Job duties and responsibilities vary from one place to another. For example, if a person works in a zoo, then he needs to stay there and study creatures in that area. Here are some typical responsibilities that marine specialists take in routine life. 

• Sample collection from field and their thorough analysis and evaluation.
• Complete review of research material and scientific literature
• Observing marine organisms and their behavior
• Reviewing all kinds of ecosystem and saltwater organism
• Tracking and measurement of organisms with the use of some specific instruments
• Analyzing the ocean environment's health and finding a way to rebuild an adverse ecosystem
• Applying computer modeling on given facts and information to create a predictive data report
• Program consultation to improve ecosystem environment and reduce pollution
• A professional holding a senior-level position in the marine biology sector have to take on some additional responsibilities such as :
• providing detailed guidance to authorities and agencies on how to monitor ecosystems.
• Composition of scientific papers. 
• Creating persuasive grant proposals to generate fund for a particular research
• Giving a presentation of research findings to policymakers and stakeholders
• Keeping the public well aware of marine life issues and their possible solutions
• Create a full-fledged report of research findings 
• Assisting research team
• Doing a complete budget calculation for a specific research project and schedule it.
• Drafting environment assessment reports and impact statements
• Sharing reports and useful data with advocacy agencies

List of Careers in Marine Biologist Department

In case you want to join this department, you must know what kind of careers are included in the list.

1.Marine Biotechnologist

Usually, marine biotechnologists work alongside pharmaceutical companies to make drugs and medicines by using available marine resources. Many marine animals and plants are quite useful in the development of medical treatment and drugs. They also work for aquatic organisms, an excellent resource for cosmetics, fuel, food, and pharmaceuticals. 

So, a marine biotechnologist's job is to make the most of marine micro and macro organisms and use these earth resources to create technologies, products, and processes. These aquatic resources help a variety of areas such as feed, supplement, industrial processes, aquaculture, cosmetics, and health.

2. Oceanographer

Oceanographers study the external and internal factors that affect the ecology system. They explore different areas, such as physical, chemical, geological, and biological. Some oceanographers study only the chemical effects, while others study the earth's geological impact on ocean life. Biological oceanographers focus all their lives studying the effect of factors like flood, storm, earthquake, etc., on marine life, like how an earthquake disturbs ocean creatures' lives and how thermal vent can badly affect ecosystem makeup.

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Physical oceanographers study physical attributes of oceans such as salinity, waves, tides, temperature, pressure, currents, etc. This job could be either descriptive or dynamic. A descriptive nature job requires a professional to complete his research on the ocean via observation and complex numerical models. Simultaneously, a dynamical job requires him to look deeply into all the processes that contribute to fluid motions, waves, etc.

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Chemical Oceanographers study the ocean's chemical composition. For example, if the water is quite acidic, then many plants and animals can't survive in this situation, and this chemical effect is having a significant impact on the ecology. They study how chemical changes in the ocean pose severe challenges for marine life.

Geological oceanographers:This professional studies the ocean floor and explores geophysical technologies' effect on the rock movement processes and makeup of ocean bedrock. He maps and dates the rock formations and conducts surveys to look into an ocean's geological features. They ensure that ocean floors remain protected from human actions. 

3. Aquarist

This professional looks deep into marine life in aquariums. He observes aquarian life behavior by feeding them and making some changes in their requirements. If a person likes to spend more time underwater and ready to take advanced driving courses, then an aquarist job is a good fit for him.

They need to spend time near underwater creatures like fish and others. There is a need for hands-on experience with creatures. If animals get sick in aquariums, an aquarist will take them to veterinarians. They often prepare presentations to inform people about aquarium life and how they can feed their own animals better. This job requires physical activity and travel. An expert aquarist has to move around for the collection of specimens and study them closely.

4. Hydrologist

As the name describes this position well, this job requires a professional to study the water. He analyzes water resources on earth and researches their physical properties, distribution, and circulation in rivers, oceans, and groundwater. He often shares presentations on how to preserve and clean the water. A hydrologist needs to create some practical proposals for the water system and reduce water waste and hydroelectric power. Most of the time, these proposals are meant for the government. However, he tries to create awareness in the general public as well.

6. Fishery Biologist

A professional studies fish for different reasons, such as getting an idea on how to decrease overpopulated species or increase endangered species. They study and observe the behavior of fish. They research fish life to check the effects of the environment on their life. Fishery biologists focus on fish and collect specimens while boating in oceans or rivers. Some others collect data from lakes and streams.

7.Professor/Teacher

Many marine biologists work as a professor and teacher. They complete their research projects and then share varied lectures about their research with the students. Usually, they become a professor or lecturer in winter at this time of the year; they can't work in the field. 
 

8.Ichthyologist

This professional studies all fish species on earth and looks into their reproductive habits, behaviors, and development patterns. There is a need for diving certification, so an Ichthyologist can go underwater and research fish creatures. They collect all the data, and they analyze it. They often examine the findings and sometimes give names to new species. 

9.Marine Mammalogist

They study marine mammals such as whales, walrus, sea lions, seals, manatees, polar bears, etc. Many of them explore a specific mammal such as whales or polar bears. Many areas cover this specific study, such as anatomy, ethology, ecology, history, taxonomy, etc. Some research specifically, while others focus on training, rehabilitation. During their life, they need to collect the data and analyze it. Senior marine mammalogists help their team workers and supervise their assistants. They write grant proposals so they can study more marine or aquatic mammals. Mostly, their studies are published in scientific journals.
 

Is a Marine Biologist a Good Career for you?

Here are some questions to answer that help you decide whether this career is a good fit for you or not.

Do you Love Marine Life?

A person needs to show sufficient interest in marine and aquatic life to start a career in this field. If you like to interact with fish and other sea creatures, then certainly you may want to know more about them.

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Are you Curious?

The best person for this job is one who has a curious nature. Most of the time, a person has to spend time researching to find the facts and collect data and information. Therefore, if you are not curious about why a fish behaves like that, you won't focus on this work.

Are you Investigative?

Like a police detective investigating criminals, marine biologists need to examine marine creatures and life in the same manner. Besides, you must be rational as your job requires you to collect the data and evaluate it properly.

Are you a Team player?

It would help if you worked with other people and researchers. A person must understand the difference of opinion. A person with strong communication and interpersonal skills can excel in this career well. If you land in a senior-level position, you become a team leader, and your job is to assist your colleagues and teammates. Delegating duties and reviewing research papers of your teammate becomes your premium responsibility.

Are you a Patient?

It would help if you had patience characteristics to work on this job as most of the time you spend on observation. For example, you need to observe a fish's behavior or the effect of the environment on fish. A person who can wait and watch easily can perform well on this particular job.

Can you Analyze it?

It would be best if you dealt with complex models and research processes. Thereby, a person with analytical skills can handle this job in the best manner. You need to be proficient in scientific and analytical software to excel in this career.

Are you Organized?

You need to write reports, keep an organized record of every single test, examination, and observation. You might have seen some lawyers who record their cases. In the same manner, you need to record your observation, analysis, and research correctly. If you hate to organize, this career isn't the right fit for you.

Are you Logical?

You need to use scientific models and process most of the time on this job. If you are a logical person who can bring reasoning to the table, this job is certainly the right choice for you.

You should know that marine biologist is often categorized as the happiest career. More than 90 percent of people feel satisfied with their job. Every other day they have something new to learn and observe. Jobseekers feel good about this job as they can satisfy their curiosity level with it. 

Know About Workplace of a Marine Biologist 

Depending on the job and field area, some professionals have to work close to the coral reef, mangrove forests, swamps, rivers, oceans, and tide pools. In case a person only studies theoretical aspects, he spends more time in a scientific lab and less time exploring water features on earth. For some jobs, traveling and discovery is a big perk, while other marine biologist jobs don't require traveling. 

If you want to travel more then it’s better to choose one career where you spend more time close to nature. In that scenario, you don’t work like an office job of 9 to 5 but instead you set your own schedule. As you normally don’t have a supervisor or manager, you handle every task from start to end by yourself. 

Who Hire a Marine Biologist?

Some marine biologists work for university research centers where they complete their academic research and perform duties as professors and teachers. Expert biologists work for Government organizations. Their job is to work in a public laboratory, conduct tests, and share their research findings. Many work with Environmental protection agency and also Non-profit organization that care about marine life and aquatic resources.

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How to Become a Marine Biologist?

You need to study marine biology to become a marine biologist. Many jobs require a Master'sMaster's degree, but many students start working for university after getting a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree requires four years, while one can have a master's degree in one or two years. Many biologists study and work side by side, and they apply for a Ph.D. degree or doctorate that is usually completed in three to four years. 

Once you have a degree, you can apply for an open position and gain experience in your job. After getting a degree, the best place to start your career is your university or college. Join a research department as an internee and explore marine life closely. An easy place to find a job is a zoo or private laboratories where requirements are minimal but job opportunities are countless. However, if you want to get paid more on this specific job, it’s always good to work with the government as you can tap on a variety of venues and can do something great for the sustainability of marine life. 

Marine Biologist Salary

How much do you earn as a marine biologist? It'sIt's the biggest question that comes to your mind when you think of going with this career. The average median salary on this job is almost $34000, which is good pay given that your whole job circle research. On an entry level job, you might not get a remarkable pay. However, when you learn on your job and become experienced, you can land on high pay jobs easily. It’s better to research an untapped marine subject and publish your paper to get recognized by top government agencies, who will come with the best job offers.

Wrap up

Marine biologist career is one of the happiest careers. If you don't like to go under stress on a job and are delighted to work for marine life's existence and sustainability, you better opt for this career path. You can pick a specific area of interest from an available career and get a specialization degree.