Marine Biology free essay sample

Marine biology differs from marine ecology. Marine ecology is focused on how organisms interact with each other and the environment, and biology is the study of the organisms themselves. Marine Biologists also focus on endangered species and what is causing it. Marine biology also includes the study of ocean health. It is important for scientists to determine the quality of the marine environment to ensure that water quality is enough to maintain a healthy environment. Coastal environmental health is an important area of environmental marine biology; therefore scientists can determine the impact of coastal development on water quality for the safety of people visiting the beaches. Pollutants, sediment, and runoff are all threats to marine health in coastal areas. Offshore marine environmental health is also studied. For example, an environmental biologist might be required to study the impact of an oil spill or other chemical hazards in the ocean. Skills Needed Skills Needed The skills needed are a Masters in Science, and PhD degree but many schools are now also offering Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology as well. Many suggest that the undergraduate degree should be a general Biology or Zoology degree and then go for your Marine Biology degree/s in graduate school. An MS in Marine Biology is usually required to get good jobs and to be able to publish on your own. You also have to be interested in biology, math and science overall. Communications is also becoming more and more vital, therefore learning to write and communicate well is highly recommended. Everyone needs a calm and friendly personality to go with their top-notch skills. You can’t have a mean personality because then most people would leave you alone to do your own work without offering any help. Also, be respectful and effectively you will earn respect. You need to be very interested in science because that is a fundamental base in the area of marine biology. If you are interested that means the more effort will be put into your work and that shows. You also need to be very determined and focused on what you’re going to do, because that is crucial in the experiments that you’re going to perform. Salary Salary The marine biologist salary is dependent on writing successful grant proposals. A grant proposal is ideas that marine biologists present to the government to perform experiments that can help the environment, and if the government approves of it, the government provides the funds for the experiments. It takes them about 2 months to write a proposal. Their proposals take on average 5 months. The official rate of pay might be 100k a year, which sounds attractive, but that is only if you are determined to work for it. Education is much better and covers the bulk of the marine biologist salary. To become a faculty member at a research institution, you need to earn a Ph. D. This takes about 5 years of additional education after an undergraduate degree, 4 years. During this time they will earn an annual salary of $16K. Then, if you are lucky, there is a post-doc period where scientists earn an annual salary of perhaps $30K. Each step is a weeding out process and many people don’t make it too many people are told â€Å"education is the way to go, but there are too few jobs. Faculty annual salaries are much higher, in the $45K to $125k range. But this is very misleading because if you don’t have a grant or a class you simply don’t get paid. Some work 60+ hours a week and struggle to maintain a family and other aspects of life. Marine Biologist Salary in Florida (FL), $50,000, Marine Biologist Salary in Connecticut (CT), $56,000, Marine Biologist Salary in Maryland (MD), $53,000, Marine Biologist Salary in California (CA), $56,000. Working Conditions Working Conditions The working environment for a marine biologist changes from one day to the next. Most marine scientists have a laboratory where they can conduct their observations and experiments. They may spend their whole day in this lab or they may use it only part of the time. When not in the lab, marine biologists work outdoors. Their day can be influenced by such things as the weather or by the animals they study. Marine biologists may travel to outside sites to handle certain aspects of research or experiments directly. Marine biologists may be called upon for marine-animal rescue missions, such as after oil spills, to which they may have to travel. They may present their findings at conferences or workshops. This is usually not a job that involves a lot of stress, and the benefits may include the possibility of working outdoors in attractive locations. Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies, or to develop information and interpret findings. They also program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data, collect and analyze biological data about elationships among and between organisms and their environment, study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution. They also communicate test results to state and federal representatives and the general public. They identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species. Why I Chose This Job Why I Chose This Job I chose this job as my future job because I enjoy working with marine life and studying the aspects of their environment. I enjoy finding out new things about the ocean every day,- and I believe becoming a marine biologist will help me comprehend more of the ocean and all its animals. One of my most personal favorite animals is the dolphin. The dolphin is intelligent compared to other marine animals. They communicate by using clicking sounds in the oceans. They are intelligent by their method of catching fish. They gather around a school of fish and they kick the sand upwards. Then, the fish becomes confused and start to jump upward out of the sand circle and land in the dolphin’s mouths. When I become a marine biology I want to find out how the clicking of the dolphins affects their communications and see what humans can benefit from that. I have loved animals since I was little, marine animals especially. The first time I went to SeaWorld I was fascinated by the tons of fish and animals that were there. Then when the scientist there was examining a dolphin I knew what I wanted to be. People often tell me that the job doesn’t pay well and that the career is going to get you nowhere but I believe that with effort anything is possible.