Marine Biology As A Career

I would like to begin this paper from the career notion definition. The main topic of this research paper is marine biology as a career and as for me it is not empty words, because I strongly believe that choosing career we choose our future. Looking into the roots of this question it is necessary to mention that folk wisdom says of that a profession is as riches. In many cases people who are around you judge about your activity on the base of your chosen career, that it why it is so hard for many young people to chose own career and own future. Moreover, if we will made an effort transfer all interests, desires, fascinations, a very long list would turn out, probably. Many of us have a wide circle of interests, and it is very difficult to choose, what from it would become a future profession, and what a hobby is. Mostly a preference to some type of activity determines interest to its maintenance. To accept a correct decision, it is necessary to get acquainted with maintenance of potential profession, labour duties and terms of labour. If you like maintenance of profession, you will be more successful in your chosen work, you will have an aim to promote the qualification, become an authoritative specialist in the professional area and, eventually, earn good money.

At the beginning of professional cycle all person’s efforts usually sent on the preparation to the future career and among these efforts we could find development of abilities, values, presentations and other aspects that are necessary for finding of professional identity. At the end of professional cycle person usually concentrates all forces on determination of degree of success. Thinking about myself I want to mention that I like marine biology and in my opinion this kind of career will be the best way of self-realization for me. I don’t want to discuss this career without concrete facts in marine sphere, so let’s consider this part of my paper as introduction to my research.

I prepared my research not for one day and understood that choice of the right career path is not an easy step. First of all, if you were not determined from the beginning (for example, during study-time in a college), what it will be, your professional way, then, that coming you to accept in this life, a decision about the choice of kind of activity will become one of the most essential decisions in your life. If you thought over this question in enough earnest, then to the moment of final choice you have in a head few ideas which, however, yet coming to specify. Pointing necessary information is possible from the row of sources of knowledge and experience. As you understand from the previous words exactly now I try to find all necessary information about the career of my choice and maybe exactly this research paper will allow me to make my last choice in career sphere.

Let’s discuss marine biology as the career that I’m interested in for my future and first of all it is necessary to define what it means in the wide sense of this word. Marine biology is a science that studies the organisms of seas and oceans. Marine biology is vast discipline, including the great number of directions, therefore a term is understood variously depending on that, who uses it in own practice. It is possible to name a specialist, qualificatory in a museum the standards of marine animals and plants delivered there a marine biologist; physiologist, studying functioning of the nervous system of squid; environmentalist, investigating distribution of marine inhabitants et cetera. We know that often as synonyms of marine biology are used terms “biological oceanography” and “marine ecology”. However, biological oceanography studies organisms, dwellings at sea mainly, i.e. more or less far from off-shore shoals. Marine ecology, strictly speaking, implies research of mutual relations of marine inhabitants with each other and with surrounding them physical environment, what, however, most marine biologists really occupy. Although ocean waters are not divided by borders, their inhabitants at the distribution run into insuperable barriers the exposure of which behaves to the major problems of marine biology. If to move from a beach in the depths of ocean, it is possible to notice, as physical terms of environment change and simultaneously the types of animals and plants change each other. At the same time certain combination of environmental factors results in that one or other organisms often meet together. Using this analogy we should say that marine biology has in itself many components from other professions and exists in tight connection with them, in spite of their differences.

For addition to above presented information I want to add that considerable part of works on marine biology is conducted now on the base of large laboratories, for example in Plymouth (England), in the USA and so on. In many cases we remember and use famous names of laboratories, but, however, a considerable deposit is brought in this science also by not yet deserving a world fame small stations, colleges and universities, located in the different countries of the world.

According to information presented on website http://life.bio.sunysb.edu we could find easy and understandable answers on questions not only about marine biology, but also about the essence of the marine biologist’s work. For example next information is rather interesting to reading and thinking about it: “Marine biology is the field of knowledge relating to marine organisms. But what is a marine biologist? To many, it means being a dolphin trainer but to others it means managing a marine wildlife sanctuary. There are many answers to this question and I would say that a marine biologist is someone who works in some way in studying, observing, protecting, or managing marine organisms, be they microbe, plant or animal. If you study marine fish populations you are a marine biologist. If you manage a marine wildlife preserve and are concerned with protection of marine organisms there, then you too are a marine biologist. You know you’re a marine biologist if you have a notebook or computer that you record information often about marine organisms. But you may also be a marine biologist if you are collecting sponges, looking for bioactive drugs. You may be counting them, doing DNA sequencing of them, observing them in the laboratory or making theoretical models predicting their abundance once fishing is decreased. So marine biologists do many things, but what they have in common is working with marine organisms.” (http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/mycareer.html)

In my opinion career of marine biologist is a good choice and based on above presented information we see that specialist in marine biology could find many areas for own talents implementation. Nowadays there are many universities where it is possible to receive quality education and the post-secondary institutions offering a degree or certificate in this field. For example, researching this problem I found next information that “colleges and universities offer a range of degrees in marine biology from an associates degree to a doctorate. MarineBio has compiled the following list of US-based and International schools offering degrees in Marine Biology, and an accompanying list of marine laboratory research facilities.

Marine Biology Degree Programs in the US.

International Marine Biology Degree Programs.

Marine Biology Laboratories, Institutes & Graduate Programs.” (http://marinebio.org/MarineBio/Careers/)

I checked above mentioned information and I could say that above stated facts are true and it is possible to receive education in marine biology area in many universities, because there are many places where students can go for their new knowledge, but first requirement is talents in biology area and a great wish to study and become a good specialist. Thinking about salary range and analysing existed situation on the market of marine biologists I could come to the conclusion that the salary is enough high and it depends not only from the place where you work, but also from the necessity of your project and your level of education, I mean your degree in chosen area. In other words, future salary in marine biology sphere will depend on educational background, from employment sector and also from geographical location.

Reading different facts about marine biology and listen to people who realize themselves in this sphere I understood that career of marine biologist is something like job and hobby at the same time. I like Jeffery’s words, who said that “It was her best choice in the life and she likes her profession very much.” Reading about this person next facts I understood that I want to have the same to her career: “growing up, Sharon Jeffery knew that she wanted to be a marine biologist. This focus stemmed from a growing interest in biology during her secondary education, from family camping trips near the ocean, and spending her days swimming, snorkelling and turning over rocks on the beach to discover marine life. Sharon is now an Aquarist at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre who designs and maintains exhibits of local fishes. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology. At the Aquarium, Sharon enjoys the diverse duties of her job, from designing displays to scuba diving, and from collecting animals to talking with the media. Being wet and cold is a typical and dreary part of her job, but Sharon exclaims, “You get used to it!” (http://www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts/marinebiologist.html)

I understand that career of marine biologists is a not easy career and it requires high level of responsibility and self-organization, also it requires attention and prominent talents in chosen are, because you will never become a good specialist without strong scientific mind. According to http://www.ehow.com we see that “The college requirements for a marine biologist aren’t that different than the requirements of any science, but they may be harder to find as not all locations are conducive to learning about the ocean and ocean life. Depending on your career choice, commercial or conservation, you will want to find a degree from associate’s level to master’s level, or possibly even a Ph.D.” (http://www.ehow.com/facts_4796744_college-requirements-marine-biologist.html)

I have read on one site www.marinecareers.net that “One area of specialization, the emerging field of marine biotechnology, offers great opportunity for marine biologists. Marine biotechnology research presents a wide range of possibilities and applications. One focus area is the biomedical field, where scientists develop and test drugs, many of which come from marine organisms. An example of an application of biotechnology research can be seen in industry or defense, where researchers have developed non-toxic coatings that prevent the build-up of fouling organisms, such as barnacles and zebra mussels. Such coatings are useful for ships and intake pipes used in power plants.” (http://www.marinecareers.net/field_marinebiology.php) Basing on this part of the article I want to realize myself in above described area and it will be interesting for me to work exactly in this field.

Thus, based on all above researched information I could come to the conclusion that marine biology as a career is a good choice for me. I understand that my career path in this area will be also full of hardships, but I like this direction of biology so much that I’m ready to meet all hardships, to receive a good education and become a good specialist. I agree with the statement that biologists should be able to work not only alone, but also in command and I have all required features of character that will allow me to work with people and coordinate our actions in the right direction. I went through one test in career area and according to it I should choose biology as my career, because it requires to my necessities and my type of mind.

For the conclusion I want to say that I don’t want to change my opinion about marine biology as a career and also based on my research I want to recommend for all people who are looking for sphere where they can realize themselves to be strict in judgments and seriously think about own future. I think that first of all it is important to define after finding out of the professional interests, whether you possess by capabilities, corresponding to these interests. For example, you can possess certain internals and capabilities which will provide successful work in one professional sphere, but will appear unavailing in other. Think, as far as your knowledge, abilities, capabilities, are wide and various. Professionally important descriptions are health, professional qualification, or knowledge. If some your internals are more expressed for mastering of certain profession, so, you are professionally suitable for this profession. From all professionally meaningful internals you are able to influence on the level of professional qualification – for example, to promote it. In turn, professional capabilities and character traits are such individual features which very difficult yield to the change. I think that capabilities most full open up and develop exactly in operations – to the studies or work. If you succeeded relatively easily to master the chosen speciality and then with pleasure to execute work, it is possible to say, that you possess necessary level professionally important capabilities for this speciality. In my research I have done all recommendations presented in this last part of my paper and maybe in future I will publish some new inventions in famous professional journals, because I really believe that when person choose right career it is possible to become great in it.