May 1, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR ELIZABETH HINCHEY IN RI
Great questions Julie!

The amount of time you spend in school to become a marine biologist
ultimately depends on what degree you pursue. Some universities offer
undergraduate degrees in Marine Biology, which take 4 years (the typical
duration for an undergraduate degree). If you want to go on to pursue
an advanced degree in Marine Biology, an undergraduate degree in general
Biological Sciences will also prepare you nicely. Be sure to take as
many classes in science, physics, chemistry and geology that you can!
Typical M.S. programs take 2-4 years, and Ph.Ds usually take a bit
longer, from 3-6 (or more) years. The amount of time a degree takes
depends on a number of factors, including the type of project you
choose, whether mother nature cooperates during your field experiments,
etc.

Are there a variety of jobs to choose from when pursuing a career in
marine biology and if so, what might those jobs be?

Oh my- there are so many jobs you can pursue with a marine biology
degree. Marine biologists can be found working in state and federal
agencies, in nonprofit organizations, in university research labs, in
consulting firms, in aquaculture facilities, in film companies making
nature documentaries, etc . I have even known of a marine scientist
with a masters degree in genetics of oyster diseases that got a job in
the criminal forensics arm of the FBI! A great web site to check out is
The Bridge (http://www.vims.edu/bridge). On this site you can find
links to many marine science career web pages!

What is the pay like for a marine biologist?

Again, this depends on a number of factors- some jobs pay more than
others of course, and salary is not necessarily always dependent on
degree. Check out the links provided at the Bridge Web site I mentioned
(above) for more details.

If I was to pursue a career in marine
biology, can I expect it to be a promising job?

Most definitely! There are many challenges we must face as human use of
the ocean and coastal systems continues to expand. There are many
research questions that need answers, and we need many excited young
students like yourself to help us solve these problems. I really like
my job as a marine biologist- I get to work with interesting people and
study exciting ecosystems. I spend a large part of my time outside and
underwater, and am always learning new things.

What kind of classes should I take and how challenging would they be? Lastly, are there any good colleges that you know of in Hawaii that would have classes for marine biology?

The University of Hawaii has a well-known Marine Science program. Check
out their web page for more information