Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Marine Biologist
As is explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, marine biology is the study of marine or sea life, and those that study marine biology are called marine biologists. If you are interested in the ocean and the things that live there, this is a career you might want to consider. In such a situation, you might be interested in knowing what a marine biologist does on a typical day. This article will look to list the top 20 things we learned when it comes to a day in the life of a marine biologist.
Fieldwork
Some marine biologists need to regularly be in the field to do their work as per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. For instance, one of the ways that marine biologists monitor the diversity and abundance of marine life in certain habitats is by going and counting the marine life they see while scuba diving or snorkeling.
Long hours
A day in the life of marine biologists comprises long hours of diving, or under the sun or in a boat with bad weather, carrying the equipment, the tanks, among others. The long hours that marine biologists have to endure are a big part of the life of a marine biologist.
The dress code
As articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, most job descriptions have their own dress code. Marine biologists trade lab coats (which they do wear sometimes), safety glasses, and nitrile gloves for a wetsuit, diving mask, and fins.
Fieldwork can be dangerous
While a day in the life of a marine biologist may involve a lot of fieldwork, it is important to note that fieldwork can be dangerous and relies on the skills and experience of the field biologist to successfully accomplish the research objectives at hand.
Travel
Field days can be far-flung, remote areas, which means that there is often travel involved in the same. This means, that if you are considering a career as a marine biologist, then you should be prepared for the travel aspect of the career.
It’s not always exotic locations
When it comes to life as a marine biologist, most people think fieldwork involves scuba diving or snorkeling in exotic areas studying coral reefs, and the likes. However, according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, it is important to note that fieldwork can also be in places you would never want to go unless you had to be there for research purposes, such as water treatment plants, sewage outfall zones, or commercial harbors.
Lab and office work
Other than fieldwork, there is ample time spent back in the laboratory working on samples and at a computer analyzing and writing up the research for publications and communications. This is where the number crunching, statistical analysis, and writing up the publications happen.
Using drones
With the advancement of technology and the use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or drones as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, marine biologists have begun to use drones to capture footage of coastlines, count populations of whales, seals, sharks, etc., and even monitor harmful algal blooms. Drones can also allow marine biologists to watch and record the behavior of marine life without needing to be in the water with them, something that could influence behaviors.
Collecting data
Every scientist, from all branches of science, needs to collect data, and marine scientists are no exception. Marine biologists spend hours taking down data and recording numbers from experiments or observations.
Lots of studying and reading
There is a lot of reading to be done before beginning research for marine biologists directly involved in research. Marine biologists need to first read the scientific literature that is available about their topic of interest before coming up with a question to explore.
Collecting samples
Another major part of a day in the life of a marine biologist is collecting samples as at covered RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. When conducting research, marine biologists collect samples to help answer their questions. For example, scientists interested in how water temperature or salinity affects certain marine life will need to regularly collect water samples to monitor the water.
Not all marine biologists work in the field
While work in the field is arguably the most exciting part of being a marine biologist, it is worth noting that not all marine biologists work in the field. As already mentioned, a lot of marine biologists work in laboratory settings.
Fishing
As described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, another one of the more fun duties for some marine biologists is fishing. Some marine biologists study large fish to sharks, which they need to capture to attach transmitters to, that are used to track the movements of the animals.
Data analysis
After collecting data, marine biologists need to analyze said data. This requires a working knowledge of statistics to analyze and understand data to apply their research question. If you are considering getting into marine biology, it is important to note that a lot of statistical analysis these days is done using coding in special software designed to analyze data.
A lot of sitting and observing
Some marine biologists are focused solely on understanding the behavior of certain marine animals. Given that it can be difficult to observe animal behavior in the wild, many times marine biologists will observe and study captive marine animals in zoos or aquariums. Observing animal behavior requires researchers to sit, wait, watch, and record an animal’s every move.
Community outreach
One of the most important aspects of the job description of a marine biologist is community outreach (speaking to the public) and education as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This is important as it can help the public to understand the importance of science and the value of studying marine life.
Writing
For those marine biologists conducting research, collecting, and analyzing data, then, ultimately, they will need to put their findings into writing. Publishing scientific papers on the results of research is important as it allows scientists to contribute their knowledge and findings to the large body of ever-growing research that allows us to better understand marine life.
Collaborating with local fishermen
Since many marine biologists study fish as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, they may need to work with or collaborate with fishermen, who also work with fish. Fishermen can be a great resource for understanding fishing trends.
Marine biologists work in harsh conditions too
While you may think that the life of a marine biologist is filled with all-year-round sun and crystal-clear waters, it is worth noting that fieldwork can sometimes mean being in the freezing cold, lashed by the rain, and seasick on a boat for hours at a time. Studying the sea could also mean studying the Arctic, the Baltic Sea, and the Irish Sea, among others.
There is so much to being a marine biologist
Finally, it is important to note that there is more to being a marine biologist than meets the eye when they are not in the field collecting samples or in the lab analyzing data. This includes a lot of time spent writing proposals for grants, reading publications around the subject matter, designing and writing research projects and protocols, designing and making equipment, inputting data, as well as teaching and communicating the research they are working on.
These are some of the things we learned when it comes to a day in the life of a marine biologist, with more on this topic, and then some, to be found over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.