One of the newest career opportunities is that of a marine conservation biologist. Marine conservation biologist studies how conservation can help to improve and protect the ocean. The field combines marine biology and conservation to study and find ways to protect the oceans of Earth. The oceans cover over 70% of the Earth and are at constant risk of pollution. A marine conservation biologist will study these oceans and find solutions to the problems that threaten them.
Subjects that will be studied in the pursuit of a marine conservation biology degree will include anthropology, biogeography, botany, economics, ethics, genetics, fisheries biology, law, marine biology, marine ecology, oceanography, political science, veterinary medicine, and zoology. Not to mention the usual subjects of math, English, speech and physical education to finish out your degree. The degree that calls for someone is dedicated to our oceans and the life they sustain.
While you are pursuing your degree as a marine conservation biologist, spend as much time as you can in the water. Even if you live a distance from the ocean, you can volunteer at your aquarium. Your experience there will be helpful in learning what conditions the different species of plant and animal life need to be healthy. If you are lucky enough to live by the ocean, check to see if there are any aquariums or oceanography institutes to volunteer. This experience will be invaluable as you pursue your career.
Once a marine conservation biologist has their degree, they will find themselves out on the ocean or underneath it. This field calls for strong swimming skills and fearlessness in the water. They will be studying the effects of pollution on the ocean and the life it contains. Because the oceans cover so much of the Earth’s surface, this can be a daunting task. Some marine conservation biologist will specialize in specific areas of the ocean or special problems.
Some of the problems that marine conservation biologist will study is the effect of pollutants that are introduced to the ocean. These pollutants include plastic, oil, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. They will study the effects these pollutants have on the flora and fauna of the ocean. They also will study the effects that alien strains of flora and fauna when they are accidentally or purposely introduced into areas that are not their natural territory.
Global warming is another area that needs to be studied. The water of the ocean actually fluctuates in a manner that can be dangerous to the life contained in it. It is hard to believe that something as big as the ocean can change temperatures on its own, but it is true. This may not seem like a problem, but as most ocean life is used to a certain temperature range a radical change in temperature could cause death in plant and animal life.
One of the biggest problems that marine conservation biologist will face is educating the public to what they are trying to do. With most people facing other problems in their lives, such as the poor economy, they do not think much about the ocean. Ways must be found to present not just the problems of pollution in the ocean, but also the solutions. There are several ways that this can be done, for instance a webpage could be created on the internet to showcase the research that is being done.
Social networking systems such as FaceBook, My Space, and Twitter can be used to bring people to your website and help to educate them. Seminars on the problems of ocean pollution can be held at schools, churches, and city halls. The more that people are made aware of a problem and its solutions, the sooner that the pollution of the ocean will stop. Senegalese forest scientist Baba Dioum said, “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.”
