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What Does a Marine Biologist Do?
Marine Biologists
Biologists study living things, including plants and animals. A marine biologist is someone who studies plants and animals that live in the ocean. Thousands of different plants and animals live in the ocean, so many marine biologists choose to study just one thing. For example, a marine biologist might decide to study dolphins, sharks, or seaweed.
Where Marine Biologists Do Their Work
Some marine biologists work on a boat. They might watch whales that come to the ocean’s surface and observe how they behave and where they travel. Marine biologists might also use underwater cameras to watch animals that do not come to the surface.
Other marine biologists go down into the ocean. Some are scuba divers who collect underwater plants so they can learn more about them. The scuba divers might also collect marine animals. They study the animals to learn about how their bodies work and whether they have any diseases.
Sometimes marine biologists use a small type of submarine to go into the ocean. The submarine has bright lights and lots of clear plastic so people can see what is happening under the ocean’s surface.
Some marine biologists work in laboratories, observing fish in large water tanks, or looking at tiny sea creatures under a microscope.
Becoming a Marine Biologist
If you are interested in becoming a marine biologist, learn to read and write well. Marine biologists read and write many scientific reports. You should also work hard at science. People take lots of science courses at a university to become marine biologists.
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