Marine Biology Jobs Dead?

[tursiops]

This is going to be an interesting thread. Last week the OP was going to get a BS in Conservation Science, and a PhD in Marine Biology. This week it is a BS in Criminal Justice, and a tour with the Navy SEALS, followed by a career on the FBI Dive Team. I'm looking forward to next week...

 

[Mason22]

I didn't know the enlistment thing was different with the Navy. I know in the Army you can do 1 year enlistments, but it seems like the majority of people that join it are high school drop outs. Since it has the easiest training and lowest requirements.

 

[DennisS]

i didn't know the enlistment thing was different with the navy. I know in the army you can do 1 year enlistments, but it seems like the majority of people that join it are high school drop outs. Since it has the easiest training and lowest requirements.

:d:d:d:d

 

[g1138]

PM sent.

2 Problems with the search:
1) Marine Biologist is not a official job title
2) Marine Biology is not an official field of study

Marine Biologist is street lingo for many different job titles in many different fields. All they have in common is they study something having to do with biology in a marine environment.
Why is this so? Marine Biology is a very vague field and can be broken down into very specific fields

For instance, I have a BS in Marine Biology and work in "the field". My official job title is Dive Safety Officer in the Aquarium Field.
My friend has a BS in Marine Biology and his official job title is Research Diver for PISCO in the field of Environmental Ecology.
We're both "Marine Biologists" by street lingo, but not by official job title or field.

Right up front : If you want to do "Marine Biology" in the Navy or Military, aim for a civilian contract otherwise you're not doing Marine Biology for the Navy. It simply is not an option in the armed forces, they contract that out to civilians.
Even their dolphin trainers.

As a sample of job titles in the "field of Marine Biology":
Aquarist
Biologist
Principal Investigator of *insert project title*
Shark Biologist
Shark Behaviorist
Animal Behaviorist
Dolphin Trainer
Animal Trainer
Research Assistant of *insert project name*
Professor of Ichthyology at *insert university name*
Professor of Ecology at *insert university name*
Professor of Marine Ecology at *insert university name*
Professor of Animal Biology at *insert university name*
Curator
Director of Husbandry
Scientist
Lab Technician
Obscure job title (Government Employee)

The list goes on and on.

What's the BS degree you need to even attempt to get those job titles?
Pick any one out of the following and you can get started:
Biology
Zoology
Environmental Science
Chemistry
Oceanography
Marine Science
Ecology
Genetics
Aquatic Ecology
Marine Ecology
Marine Biology
Marine Zoology
Animal Behavior
Ocean Sciences
and pretty much anything under a biology subsection of your college/university Major's Catalog.
You can even diverge into the whole Science section of the catalog, as reference to Chemistry, Oceanography, & Genetics above.

I'm not even going to mention Master's & PhD's


Public perception of what a "Marine Biologist" does is also very very skewed which is why it's hard for even your college advisors to tell you what is available on the job market.

Best advice for those searching along this forum for the same OP answers: Ask someone who's doing the job you want to do. They will give you the best answers you need. And their answer is often one of many paths you can take to get their job title.

 

[FishLovingStudent]

My only tip as an university student studying Oceanography and Biology is keep your mind open. Frankly you don't get to choose your research area or what your jobs are, take whatever you can get. Frankly had I known back when I choosing post-secondary paths, I would have gone with engineering or trade school.

Also, you haven't even started real "school" yet. The course work is not easy. Give it some time and thought first, don't be so quick to choose your career path at 14. At 14 I was in full honours and thought it was easy as cake and wanted to go into medical...can not say that anymore.

 

[DanMont]

As a very soon to graduate undergrad studying Marine Bio in the UK there are definitely jobs in Marine Biology! It all depends on whether you are able to outcompete the other highly qualified people to get them! For instance I recently applied to a PhD position which ended up with 50 applicants for one position (which was related to the North Sea fishing industry so definitely not sexy or glamorous!). Additionally as others have said it is almost guaranteed that the thing you are interested in now may not be what you are interested in in 4 years time! Of the other students on my course I would say roughly half of them are looking at moving away from marine science after graduating with a lot of those not even interested in a biology related job anymore. IF you are really sure marine bio is for you get as much experience through volunteer work, weekend jobs etc. that could be applicable in the future. As a teenager I was part of the UK cadet corp which while not related to Marine biology at all did give me a lot of other skills that make me standout from someone who sat at home every weekend.

 

[Oldbear]

I didn't know the enlistment thing was different with the Navy. I know in the Army you can do 1 year enlistments, but it seems like the majority of people that join it are high school drop outs. Since it has the easiest training and lowest requirements.

Dude...learn your facts before you blow your creditability...

In the Army you can do 1 year enlistments - Not true, for most there is a four year minimum enlistment contract with a eight year total service obligation. There are a few specialties that might enable the enlistee to get a 2, 3 or 6 year contract but they still have the 8-year obligation.

The majority of people that join it are high school drop outs - You must be either currently in high school or have a high school diploma or GED. While a high school diploma is most desirable, candidates with a GED can enlist but it may limit some opportunities. If you do not meet this requirement, there are programs that can help. Success in any branch of the Military depends on a good education. It is very difficult to be considered a serious candidate without either a high school diploma or accepted alternative credential.

Since it has the easiest training and lowest requirements - All services' Basic Training is pretty much the same; to transform recruits from civilians into a cohesive military member. Then each service throws in its service specific requirements. To compare one service to another is like comparing apples to oranges to bananas to pineapples...each are good fruit but still different. I wouldn't say one is easier than another or has higher or lower requirements...just different requirements built upon "Basic Military" requirements.

 

[Buliwyf]

Bingo:
http://www.conservationjobboard.com...ne-scientists-tuscaloosa-alabama/145261714721

Make sure you can tick all of those requirement boxes. But it's still work. You don't get to float around all day taking pics of coral every day. The real useful work is much more bland. Hope you like statistics classes.

Skip the trailer. Owning a trailer cost more than apt rent or a small house when I was last living in Fl. Renting a trailer, oddly enough was pocket change, even for a nicer one. $350 mth.

If you can get an MOS in the Navy or Army that's somewhat supports this career and will pay for a chunk of the schooling later on, I wouldn't pass that up. When I was that age, the military wasn't offering jack. Now it's quite decent.

 

[Buliwyf]

My only tip as an university student studying Oceanography and Biology is keep your mind open. Frankly you don't get to choose your research area or what your jobs are, take whatever you can get. Frankly had I known back when I choosing post-secondary paths, I would have gone with engineering or trade school.

Also, you haven't even started real "school" yet. The course work is not easy. Give it some time and thought first, don't be so quick to choose your career path at 14. At 14 I was in full honours and thought it was easy as cake and wanted to go into medical...can not say that anymore.

My trade is a solid $25/hr. But hard work. Most of my peers are about the same. Sometimes it's cake for an entire week. But then I get two days of intense danger and stress. Rinse repeat. Tons of demand, nearly unlimited job security ( and we screw up everything we touch), but no ones willing to pay for it. There's a huge shortage of field techs, but if there isn't any lucrative offers, then the demand won't be filled. The companies headhunting me, basically want a Mercedez Benz for $22,000 out the door.

Same with trucking. Were short what? 100,000 drivers? But who wants to work 80hrs/week for $65,000/yr, home only for short weekends? It's not worth the pay. Make that a 4 day, over the road work week, for $45,000, and they'd get drivers then, I'd bet.

As for marine biology. Make sure you go after something profitable. There are some big companies that need to cover a few bases. Fisheries, oil refineries, NOAA, etc. etc. I don't think anyone really gives a darn about the reefs? Or is willing to pay for what we already know.

 

[Ghosty]

Lots of excellent info in this thread. My career is engineering, but I'm also a senior in Biology, part-time goes real slow. I doubt I'd ever switch careers, but this stuff is good to know.

Side-note: One thing for sure, I wanna meet @Wookie, holy ****. You had/have an epic life journey...