High School

If you are interested in this career, begin your preparations by taking plenty of high school science classes, such as biology, chemistry, and earth science. Also take math classes and computer science classes, both of which will give you skills that you will use in doing research. In addition, take English classes, which will also help you develop research skills as well as writing skills. And, because you will probably need to extend your education beyond the level of a bachelor's degree, consider taking a foreign language. Many graduate programs require their students to meet a foreign language requirement.

Postsecondary Training

In college, take basic science courses such as biology, botany, and chemistry. However, your class choices don't end there. For instance, in biology you might be required to choose from marine invertebrate biology, ecology, oceanography, genetics, animal physiology, plant physiology, and aquatic plant biology. You might also be required to choose several more specific classes from such choices as ichthyology, vertebrate structure, population biology, developmental biology, biology of microorganisms, evolution, and cell biology. Classes in other subjects will also be required, such as computer science, math (including algebra, trigonometry, calculus, analytical geometry, and statistics), and physics.

Although it is possible to get a job as a marine biologist with just a bachelor's degree, such jobs likely will be low-paying technician positions with little advancement opportunities. Some positions in the field are available with a master's degree, but most marine biologists have a doctoral degree. Students at the graduate level begin to develop an area of specialization, such as aquatic chemical ecology (the study of chemicals and their effect on aquatic environments) and bioinformatics (the use of computer science, math, and statistics to analyze genetic information). Master's degree programs generally take two to three years to complete. Programs leading to a Ph.D. typically take four to five years to complete.

Other Education or Training

Keeping up with industry developments is key to success as a marine biologist. Professional associations at the local, state, and national levels often provide continuing education (CE) opportunities. The American Institute of Biological Sciences, PADI, and the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography provide CE classes, webinars, seminars, and workshops. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

If you are going to be diving, organizations like PADI provide basic certification. Training for scientific diving is more in-depth and requires passing an exam. It is also critical that divers learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Also, if you'll be handling hazardous materials such as formaldehyde, strong acids, or radioactive nucleotides, you must be licensed.

Entry-level marine biologists usually have several years of experience and on-the-job training. Any experience one can obtain in the field of marine biology—such as an internship, volunteering, or a part-time job—will be useful for aspiring marine biologists.

To be a successful marine biologist, you must have the ability to ask questions and solve problems, observe small details carefully, do research, and analyze mathematical information. You should be inquisitive and must be able to think for yourself. This is essential to the scientific method. Knowledge of computer software, such as geographic information systems and modeling software programs, is also critical in this profession. You must use your creative ability and be inventive in order to design experiments; these are the scientist's means of asking questions of the natural world. Working in the field often requires some strength and physical endurance, particularly if you are scuba diving or if you are doing fieldwork in tidepools, which can involve hiking over miles of shore at low tide, keeping your footing on weedy rocks, and lifting and turning stones to find specimens.