Common Marine Science misconceptions and clarifications!
Marine science is not a very common major when looking at overall numbers and very few schools even offer it as a major at all. It is a pretty specific choice yet it is an umbrella for so many different options. Being a marine science major, there are so many questions that are repeatedly asked, it becomes apparent how little is known about the study by those outside the major. Here are some common misunderstandings that deserve to be cleared up.
The most common misconception about marine science majors is thinking that the terms “marine science major” and “SeaWorld trainer” are basically synonymous. Many think that graduating with a major in marine science means we play with large sea animals such as dolphins and killer whales in a pool all day, every day.
Though this is one of the many career options a marine science degree provides, it is definitely far from being true for all marine science graduates. Marine science is an umbrella spanning numerous disciplines, many that even marine science majors themselves are unaware of. As some do work with these large animals, others work with plants and animals so small they are invisible to the naked eye, and others work with everything in between. Beyond this, some marine scientists have nothing to do with animals and study the habitats they live is with concentrations in everything from the geological environment to the temperatures and chemicals that make it up.
Another common question people have about marine scientists is how many hours they work in a day, considering this profession does not often follow the 9-5 desk job that many other do. The answer to this question varies depending on what this specific scientist does. Scientists who work in academia have varying schedules, usually dependent on what time of year it is. During semesters when they are teaching, the average time spent working is 9-10 hours a day, focused mainly on teaching college level courses. During times when research is being done, the hours of day spent at work are simply as long as the research project that day happens to take. This can very between different research projects as well as on a day-to-day basis within a given project. A schedule is just one more thing that a marine scientist continuously discovers as it evolves.
One last common misconception is how much general science knowledge is needed to be successful in the field of marine science. Many question why these marine science majors have to go so deep into physics, mathematics, and chemistry courses when really these are more important than almost anything in the field of marine science. In order to study almost anything in a lab, a lot of chemistry is required to be known. Certain chemicals are used to study certain organisms using certain equipment and these specifics are all extremely important in doing research. Also, a large part of understanding the ocean as a whole is understanding its makeup, which also involves a lot of chemistry knowledge. As for mathematics, in order to create the tables, graphs, and total numbers for studies often done over decades, a lot of statistics knowledge is required. Science of all sorts is majorly based upon numbers and averages in order to show data in an organized manner and for this, many skills learned in math and physics courses become useful.
There are definitely many more questions that marine science majors are commonly asked, these are just a few. As marine science majors, we understand why these misconceptions occur and really want others to know what really goes on in the life of a marine scientist rather than having the majority assume that we just play with dolphins all day. Eckerd is obviously full of these marine science majors so if you have any other questions about what they actually do or can/will do in the future, ask!