Graduate in Marine Biology

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archman:
I believe that funny little graduate school near Santa Cruz whose name eludes me.
Moss Landing Marine Lab? Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute?

The way I see the difference is that MBios tend to be reductionist specialists while Ocgs tend to be integrative generalists. We need both kinds. Shark folks tend, like whale and turtle people to be MBios rather than Ocgs, Howard Winns' students from the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University or Rhode Island being the primary exception that jumps to mind.
 
Reductionist specialist... I feel so cheap.

I almost applied to Moss after I graduated from TAMUG, because I wanted to study, er... sharks. But my GPA was too low, and those California folks intimidate me.:blinking:
 
archman:
Reductionist specialist... I feel so cheap.
I almost applied to Moss after I graduated from TAMUG, because I wanted to study, er... sharks. But my GPA was too low, and those California folks intimidate.
Don't, if the reductionist specialists don't discover all the pieces of the puzzle there's nothing out there for us integrative types to do. Plus where would were turn for our 1001 useless facts to babble about at parties? It is interesting how the lay public is fascinated by the little specifics facts, but yawns and looks for another drink if you start to discourse on the importance of potential density to the global circulation.
 
I find that the oceanography students (and faculty) seem to all share a common base knowledge, which means that at parties, they'll inevitably cloister together and talk shop. They also dress better, and use the same vocabulary terms.

The biology people, conversely, rarely know much outside their own super-specific sub-discipline (unless it was recently in Nature), which means that social discussions inevitably descend into sports, politics, and the weather. Even the broad-based ecology folks tend to have this difficulty.

Which is why I usually sneak off with the oceanographers.:eyebrow:
 
archman:
...which means that at parties, they'll inevitably cloister together and talk shop.

Is that a good thing?

Dave
 
I think so. After all, most scientists don't know anything about sports or politics, and talking about the weather maxes out after a couple minutes... unless you're a meteorologist. We have a bunch of those in the same building as our oceanographers, chatting away in the men's room. I never knew airborne dirt could be so complicated...:)
 
I may be a little late in response to this threat, just found it.

I have a BS and MS in Marine Biology. I went to school in Texas, undergrad from UT and grad from TAMU-CC, I am familiar with the Texas schools. I agree with someone else who responded, TAMU-Corpus Christi has a great program. Although it is officially a MS in biology, the emphasis is in marine biology. The professors put the emphasis on hands on field work, as opposed to strictly classroom learning. And it is one of the only schools I know of that offers a Coral Reef Ecology class with two weeks in the Yucatan learning and studying coral reefs. The professors are top notch. I learned a great deal there and am appliying what I learned in my current job.
 
acj:
I may be a little late in response to this threat, just found it.

I have a BS and MS in Marine Biology. I went to school in Texas, undergrad from UT and grad from TAMU-CC, I am familiar with the Texas schools. I agree with someone else who responded, TAMU-Corpus Christi has a great program. Although it is officially a MS in biology, the emphasis is in marine biology. The professors put the emphasis on hands on field work, as opposed to strictly classroom learning. And it is one of the only schools I know of that offers a Coral Reef Ecology class with two weeks in the Yucatan learning and studying coral reefs. The professors are top notch. I learned a great deal there and am appliying what I learned in my current job.


And what is your current job?
 
Not quite on topic, but I would like to mention that you should be prepared to broaden your work as time demands. Right now the way I see it you should be prepared to change your job profession about 5 times in your working life of 35-45 years. Also, any hard science degree will get you into the lab, but to make any real money you need to be able to move up in the management ranks, so a MBA is now just about a requirement.

Now this doesn’t mean that you change companies, just what you do.

Now back to Marine Biology – sad to say, but just like in archaeology there are not many well paying jobs for one inside or outside of the academic world. But, there are ways that may not be thought off. One I would suggest is the NOAA Officers Corp. If you have a degree and are willing to go into NOAA’s uniformed ranks you can become a Science officer on any number of expeditions. Anything from coral studies 1,000 miles from Hawaii to Bio interactions on the Titanic.


http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/
http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

And no, I’m not in NOAA, but I work with some on wrecks in the Northeast. If I was 25 again, I would seriously consider it.

Pete Johnson
 

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