scubaboy16
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i was just wondering what a good college is for marine bio and if i should even go into the field?
Any marine biologists?
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There have been several threads on this in past.
Just like any career there is always room at the top for those who are the smartest and the hardest working. If that's you, and that's what you want to do, go for it. Keep in mind what I said in one of my sea stories:
Just like any career there is always room at the top for those who are the smartest and the hardest working. If that's you, and that's what you want to do, go for it. Keep in mind what I said in one of my sea stories:
"Underwater science is usually rather dull. Hours spent collecting data. Data that's not particularly interesting in and of itself. Data that becomes interesting only when conjoined with similar data from other sites and other times. The media stars of underwater science like Sylvia Earle and Bob Ballard reach out from the pages of a glossy book or beckon from a tightly edited video production, crisp and seductive images that intersect at a precise and meaningful conclusion right there on the last page or in the last minute. But real life is not like that, at least not very often. It's repetitious, hour after hour, cold, uncomfortable, usually strenuous, occasionally dangerous. But every once in a while, every once in a long while, there's magic in the water. The universe clicks just right and something really special happens that makes up for all that's come before, something really special, really, really special."
As far as schools are concerned, it doesn't really matter till Grad school, but if you want to be able to pick and choose your graduate studies (and that's important) you will need to attend a "highly selective" institution.
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mts0628
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Hey scubaboy16:
UNC-Wilmington in North Carolina has a Marine Biology program. But the three people I met that have undergraduate degrees from there, are all nurses now (as in not doing anything in MB)!
To do anything serious or noteworthy in Marine Biology, and more importantly not to be anybody's slave, you really must think of a Masters or even a PhD (actually this applies to all of the life sciences). I thought of pursuing that same field, but I got smart. Well, no one is hiring for my degrees right now so who knows who is smarter?!
Anyway, if you don't have your heart totally set in Marine Biology, take a look at this. This is a Master's Program. As an undergraduate, you could major in something like Biology or Ecology, and potentially go here and do this. Then you could either get your masters or try for your PhD. A lot of programs use Duke's Marine Lab which is pretty neat too.
BTW, I went to ECU and it's a great school and just as important- it's cheap! I am pretty sure there are other programs out there, but I don't know much about them. A great person you can hope to respond is Thalassamania. He seems to know his way around this subject area and can probably give you way better insight and advice.
I hope this helps.
With kindest regards from North Carolina,
Thomas
UNC-Wilmington in North Carolina has a Marine Biology program. But the three people I met that have undergraduate degrees from there, are all nurses now (as in not doing anything in MB)!
To do anything serious or noteworthy in Marine Biology, and more importantly not to be anybody's slave, you really must think of a Masters or even a PhD (actually this applies to all of the life sciences). I thought of pursuing that same field, but I got smart. Well, no one is hiring for my degrees right now so who knows who is smarter?!
Anyway, if you don't have your heart totally set in Marine Biology, take a look at this. This is a Master's Program. As an undergraduate, you could major in something like Biology or Ecology, and potentially go here and do this. Then you could either get your masters or try for your PhD. A lot of programs use Duke's Marine Lab which is pretty neat too.
BTW, I went to ECU and it's a great school and just as important- it's cheap! I am pretty sure there are other programs out there, but I don't know much about them. A great person you can hope to respond is Thalassamania. He seems to know his way around this subject area and can probably give you way better insight and advice.
I hope this helps.
With kindest regards from North Carolina,
Thomas
mts0628
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There he is and I had a feeling he'd beat me to it!
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My wife's a nurse. She makes more than I ever did and can get a job that she likes anywhere in the world, whenever she wants to. She has seven years less education than I do, a decade less experience an a C.V. that is an order of magnitude shorter. Tell me who's smarter and who made the better decisions, I dare you.
adurso
Contributor
See Milton Love's commentary Marine Biologist
He is a PhD at the Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara, CA and writes some very informative and funny stuff about marine biology.
Bottom line, you need the terminal degree, does not matter so much where you do your undergrad work, grad work more important with emphasis on research component.
To get hooked up with a prof doing good research you need to stand out from the crowd, scuba diving, boat handling skills and such are helpful
Also see this http://marinebio.org/MarineBio/Careers/USschools.asp
He is a PhD at the Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara, CA and writes some very informative and funny stuff about marine biology.
Bottom line, you need the terminal degree, does not matter so much where you do your undergrad work, grad work more important with emphasis on research component.
To get hooked up with a prof doing good research you need to stand out from the crowd, scuba diving, boat handling skills and such are helpful
Also see this http://marinebio.org/MarineBio/Careers/USschools.asp
mts0628
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My wife's a nurse. She makes more than I ever did and can get a job that she likes anywhere in the world, whenever she wants to. She has seven years less education than I do, a decade less experience an a C.V. that is an order of magnitude shorter. Tell me who's smarter and who made the better decisions, I dare you.
Yup! Sad but true.
I'm a marine biologist with a Ph.D. I earn less than a SCUBA instructor... but I'm happy! Enough said.
As for your education, find a college with a good graduate program, get work as a lab or field assistant in one of the professor's labs and gain some experience and contacts who can write you a spiffy recommendation to a good grad school in the area you decide to specialize in. I'm partial to UCSB since I did my masters and PhD work there and taught for several years.
As for your education, find a college with a good graduate program, get work as a lab or field assistant in one of the professor's labs and gain some experience and contacts who can write you a spiffy recommendation to a good grad school in the area you decide to specialize in. I'm partial to UCSB since I did my masters and PhD work there and taught for several years.
smellzlikefish
Contributor
I am about to graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (two weeks!) and am continuing on to do my Master's there. UH offers an incredible program in marine biology with a solid lineup of classes and more extra-curricular experience than they have students. I have enough opportunities available after graduation that I am actually having trouble figuring out when I can fit it all in.
"As far as schools are concerned, it doesn't really matter till Grad school, but if you want to be able to pick and choose your graduate studies (and that's important) you will need to attend a "highly selective" institution."-Thalassmania-
I would disagree. Finding an accredited school is important, but you don't have to graduate from SCIPPS to have a rewarding life. Regardless of the school you are attending, you get out of school what you put into it. As important as the degree is, it is even more important to gain experience in your area of specialty. The end result is a spazzy resume. See Dr. Bill's comment.
Is it boring? Not for me anyway. I love the feeling of researching a topic nobody else has looked in to. Going into the office means going into the ocean, and I can't complain about that.
"As far as schools are concerned, it doesn't really matter till Grad school, but if you want to be able to pick and choose your graduate studies (and that's important) you will need to attend a "highly selective" institution."-Thalassmania-
I would disagree. Finding an accredited school is important, but you don't have to graduate from SCIPPS to have a rewarding life. Regardless of the school you are attending, you get out of school what you put into it. As important as the degree is, it is even more important to gain experience in your area of specialty. The end result is a spazzy resume. See Dr. Bill's comment.
Is it boring? Not for me anyway. I love the feeling of researching a topic nobody else has looked in to. Going into the office means going into the ocean, and I can't complain about that.
spoolin01
Contributor
Marine ecology and fisheries science are likely to be very hot fields for a long time to come. Not like when I was thinking about marine bio and learned you could expect the rewards to be largely personal satisfaction. Should be a good opportunity for someone interested in the field.
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