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WELCOME! ε( ε ˙³˙)ɜ ｡°

This wiki is made for those of us who either are marine biologists, are currently studying marine biology, are curious about potentially pursuing an education and/or career in marine biology, or just hold a baseline interest in marine biology!

For starters, what even is marine biology? “Simply put, marine biology is the study of life in the oceans and other saltwater environments such as estuaries and wetlands.”

(MarineBio Conservation Society)

However, that’s a very vague answer, but at the end of the day, marine biology is a very vast field of study encoming many different smaller subfields. To try and list nearly every single field of marine biology would be practically impossible. Just as the ocean is vast, so is this field of study. This is even backed by the Florida Institute of Technology (also just known as Florida Tech or FIT), who states that “Marine biology offers a diverse range of career opportunities including biomedical research scientist, marine biotechnologist, mammologist, ichthyologist (a type of zoologist that deals with fish), environmental consultant, veterinarian, aquarium manager, aquarist and so much more” (FIT).

Apprill, A. (2017)"Marine animal microbiomes: toward understanding host–microbiome interactions in a changing ocean". Frontiers in Marine Science, 4: 222. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00222/full

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Even with how diverse and vast the study of marine biology is and how it would be nearly impossible to list all of its fields, it’s still possible to list some of its fields:

⟡ Marine Mammalogist ⟡

“…is a scientist who specializes in the study of marine mammals. There are over 100 species of marine mammals including pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walrus), cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and some carnivores, such as sea otters and polar bears. Marine mammalogy is a diverse field that often includes the study of animal behavior, communication, evolution, physiology, ecology, and zoology. Marine mammalogists may study the genetics, evolutionary relationships, population structure, community dynamics, anatomy and physiology, behavior and sensory abilities, parasites and disease, geographic distributions, ecological interactions, management and/or conservation of marine mammal species. Like zoologists, many work to increase the knowledge and understanding of wildlife species. They often conduct field research to learn about the behavior and interactions of marine mammals in their natural environment” (Discovery of Sound in the Sea).

⟡ Marine Ecologist ⟡

“…the scientific study of marine-life habitats, populations, and interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic (non-living physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce) and biotic factors (living things or the materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment… The study of marine ecology also includes the influence of geology, geography, meteorology, pedology, chemistry, and physics on marine environments. The impact of human activity such as medical research, development, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry is also studied under marine ecology. In some ways, marine ecology is more complex than the relatively straightforward study of a particular organism or environment because of the numerous interconnections, symbiotic relationships, and influence of many factors on a particular environment” (MarineBio Conservation Society).

⟡ Ichthyologist ⟡

“Ichthyologists study all aspects of fish biology including anatomy, behavior and environment of fishes, how fishes interact with other organisms. Ichthyologists may focus their work in a variety of areas including behavioral ecology; reproductive biology/ecology; evolutionary ecology; food web interactions; fish movements; population dynamics; fisheries stock assessments, recruitment dynamics, evolution and systematics; conservation ecology; and fisheries policy. To do their work, ichthyologists may use a wide variety of research approaches from molecular biology to physiology to behavior. Many of these study areas are interdisciplinary. Ichthyologists may specialize by working with a specific species of interest. They may also focus their careers by choosing to work in education, research, or management” (Discovery of Sound in the Sea).

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Outside of marine biology, there are other similar fields in the marine sphere that are slightly less biological. This includes:

⟡ Maritime Archeologist ⟡

“…the study of past human cultures with an emphasis on how humans interacted with the world’s oceans, lakes and river systems. It is used to interpret the material remains of these cultures including ships and small craft, their crews and cargoes, and their shore-based facilities. While maritime archaeology is best known for its focus on shipwrecks, it is really the study of everything connected to seafaring. It is concerned with all aspects of maritime culture including technological, social, economic, political, and religious topics” (National Oceanic & Atmospheric istration - National Marine Sanctuaries)

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All in all, there’s hundreds upon hundred of opportunities in the marine biology field and in similarly related fields. For people looking to get into a marine biology field or something similar, take the advice given to me by a marine biologist regarding such: do volunteer work. Find and do volunteer work in the related field you wish to go into, talk to people in that field and network. Not only will you either confirm or deny if the field you’re interested in is right for you, but it will also help you slowly dip your toes in the proverbial water of your chosen path. It’ll help you learn useful skills and get real life experience that a textbook can’t.

Interested in marine biology or are you a marine biologist yourself? Feel free to comment down what your field of study or interest is! And if you have a marine biology fursona, whether it be a marine creature of some sorts or maybe their occupation is being a marine biologist, please also feel free to share them in the comments below!

THANK YOU FOR READING! >-;;⁠;⁠;€ᐷ

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