A day starts early and 6 of us set out by boat to Buccoo Reef to conduct three dives. On the first two dives we record coral dimensions and look at the recovery of coral colonies from last year’s bleaching event, on the third we monitor coral health (coral percentage cover, diversity, and species richness) using a photographic technique and record reef fish abundance. We collect diseased or recently dead corals are collected for lab analysis and investigate water quality, sea surface temperature and reef depth temperature. Additional assessments are made on the general health of the reef. Back on land, information is computerized and our day ends at 6pm.
Functions are wide and varied depending on your area of specialisation, but generally fall under the categories of monitoring and research. I’m a coral reef ecologist and I spend a lot of my time either in the water monitoring the health of reefs over space and time or writing research papers. Other functions include researching the effects of natural and man-made threats on ecosystem health and function and co-relating them to human needs.
If you’re thinking of Marine Biology as a career, you need to do to a BSc. in Biology, Ecology, Mathematics, Earth Science or Oceanography and go all the way to an M.Sc or M. Phil and a PhD because it’s a very internationally competitive field and having a PhD allows you to be recognised as a researcher capable of supervising others, writing quality journal papers and eligible of winning grants. So gear up for studying anywhere between 3-8 years after High School and if that sounds long think of the reward of doing something you love and making at least between 100,000-120,000 TT a year.
The UWI has a great undergraduate programme and it’s best to choose a school that specializes in your area of interest for the Masters and Phd. As far as coral reefs go, the ultimate place to study is Australia.
The great things about this job are you get to travel to conferences and workshops all over the world and network with others in your field or related fields, publications, studying a part of the world few ever interact with....and of course, SCUBA diving. The main downside is that there isn’t much scope for this work in TT and most of us would end up working in academia, the NGO sector and within the government service.
Did you always want a job where you can discover and dive at the same time? Well, maybe you should check out the field of Marine Biology. This week, the gieNETWORK Magazine speaks to 28-year-old Marine Biologist, Jahson B. Alemu, to find out more about this interesting field. Alemu, whose official job title is Coral Reef Ecologist, is employed at the Institute of Marine Affairs and is an Awardee of the Conservation Leadership Programme M.S.c Grant. He holds a BSc in Biology from UWI, St. Augustine and an MSc in Marine Biology from Bangor University, Wales. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, Marine Biologists with a Masters can earn between $100,000-120,000.00 per year, of course with promotions, there would be a comparable increase in salary. Read on as Alemu tells us more about this amazing field.
Q: What are the functions of a Marine Biologist?
Functions are wide and varied depending on your area of specialisation, but generally fall under the categories of monitoring and research. I’m a coral reef ecologist and I spend a lot of my time either in the water monitoring the health of reefs over space and time or writing research papers. Other functions include researching the effects of natural and man-made threats on ecosystem health and function and co-relating them to human needs.
Q: Why did you want to become a Marine Biologist? What sparked your interest?
As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve always wanted to become one since I was a child, but I also wanted to be a doctor, a soldier, a priest and even a lion... sometimes all at the same time. Still, I’ve followed the biology/ecology path at an early age, but once I learned to SCUBA dive, I knew that any job that married ecology and SCUBA diving would be my calling. Coming from the Caribbean, coral reefs and the organisms inhabiting them (especially squid and octopi) were most fascinating to me. Additionally, I live and utilise the natural environment, and the marine environment is the one which I feel most connected to (food, recreation and for other goods and services), and it would be remiss of me within my capacity not to try to conserve or preserve it.
Q: Are there different types of Marine Biologists?
There are many different areas in which one can specialise. Some study sea turtles, others corals, fish, marine mammals, marine plankton, marine algae and plants, marine shellfish and even the tiny invertebrates that live in the sea floor, but at the end of the day they are all marine biologists.
Q: Requirements to get into the field?
So you want to become a marine biologist, then you’ve chosen a life of science and unfortunately Mathematics. You will need:
- CXC - Biology, Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics
- A-levels - Biology
- B.Sc. - Biology, Ecology, Mathematics, Earth Science, Oceanography
- M.Sc or M. Phil and a PhD - very important.
The marine biology field has become quite competitive internationally where a PhD is the expected norm. In some Institutes, a Masters is the minimum requirement for a technician. As a PhD you would specialise in one area, and be recognised as a world leader in that particular field, a lot more avenues of research will be available to you, you will be recognised as a researcher capable of supervising others, writing quality journal papers and capable of winning grants.
Q: What is the length of study?
A BSc generally takes three years, an M.Sc. can take about two years, an MPhil about three to four years, and a PhD can take an additional three to five years to complete, although a good MPhil can be upgraded to a PhD - three to five years. Overall you’re looking at between three to eight years from Bsc to PhD.
Q: Where to study?
The University of the West Indies offers excellent programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels which enable you with all the skills necessary to flourish in this field. Also, there are hundreds of places one can go to get a graduate degree in marine biology. Depending on the area you wish to specialise in, several opportunities exist within the USA, UK, EU and Australia. Several scholarship opportunities also exist to facilitate graduate studies for international students (e.g Erasmus Mundus). Before selecting a university you should look at the research interest of the institute and the researchers, publication history and marketability of the skills to be acquired. As far as coral reefs go, the Mecca of marine biology is in Australia. Universities such as James Cook University and Queensland University produce some of the most current research and are home to several leaders in this field. Other renowned programmes are offered at CERMES (Barbados), University of Exeter, Plymouth University
Q: Where did you study? Do you think your course of study lacked anything? Are you capable of dealing with everything that you encounter in the world of work?
My B.Sc. was acquired at UWI, St. Augustine and M.Sc. at Bangor University, Wales. I think the programmes could have had a lot more practical components. Thus far, I’ve managed well with all that I’ve encountered in the world of work, and I hope to continue too.
Q: Is there a market here for Marine Biologists or is the field saturated?
In my experience there is a very narrow niche for Marine Biologist in Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately, we produce more graduates than there are opportunities. Most opportunities mainly lie in academia, the NGO sector and within the government service. I imagine that in previous decades more opportunities were available, but opportunities are few and quite competitive today.
Q: What are the advantages/rewards of your job?
Travel to conferences and workshops, networking with others in your field or related fields, publications, studying a part of the world few ever interact with....and SCUBA diving.
Q: What are the disadvantages/difficulties of your job?
Nothing significant comes to mind......although I am not very fond of eels...not fond at all.
Q: Is it a male dominated/female dominated field?
It’s a male dominated field, but I think that this paradigm is shifting.
Opportunities for travel/promotion
There are definitely many opportunities for travel, and as you continue to study or produce research papers, there are definitely opportunities for promotion.
Advice to young people wanting to get into this field
Study hard, grasp the basics and gain as much practical experience as you can (even if you’re not paid).
Q: Describe a day in the life of a Marine Biologist?
I’m currently in the field, so a field day starts quite early. A team of six departs by boat to Buccoo Reef at 8am. Three dives are conducted. The first two dives records coral dimensions and looks at the recovery of coral colonies from last year’s bleaching event, along four transect lines. The third dive monitors coral health (coral percentage cover, diversity, and species richness) using a photographic technique, as well as records reef fish abundance along five transect lines. Each transect is conducted by two divers. Samples of diseased or recently dead corals are collected for lab analysis. Water quality is also investigated, sea surface temperature and reef depth temperature. Additional assessments are made on the general health of the reef outside of the transects for possible future investigation. Back on land, all data are tediously backed up on the computer. A typical day ends at 6pm.
Q: What is your most memorable experience as a Marine Biologist?
Diving in a cave filled with lionfish in Mauritius. Imagine a very confined area with these fish lining the floor, walls and even the cave ceiling, all densely packed and getting agitated by my bubbles.
Q: Do you have any regrets getting into this field?
None....well, I did miss an opportunity to go cage diving with Great White Sharks