I am currently an undergrad going to school with a major in marine biology. I’m very confused because when I get a job I want it to have to do with rehabilitation. I dont nessesarily want to be a vet. I want to be at the places where they save animals like sea lions and sea turtles. maybe be someone who feeds them. or someone that helps the vet. I’ve heard that this is mainly vollunteer and I was hoping that maybe someone might know how to find a paying job in that area or what one might be called. Im not sure if I should change to a pre-vet with a minor in marine bio or what i need to do. I really just need someone to talk to that actually wants to help me…
so thank you to anyone who reads this!
-Marinebiokid
I hope you didn’t take out a lot of loans.
I don’t know what to say to help you. You chose something with a very limited number of positions and huge numbers of people who would like to do it.
Marine Biology is different for different people, I suppose. I think of it as studying the food chain, diurnal cycles, the life cycle of copepods, that sort of thing. Tidal blooms of Gonyaulax, medicines from the sea, pelagic life versus benthic.
What you are describing- animal rescue and rehabilitation seems a world apart.
See if you can speak to someone at Sea World. I do not know what you would call this job or this major. But they certainly do it at Sea World. Maybe you could even get an employee discount on Budweiser?
Good luck!
I second talking to someone at a marine preserve, an aquarium,or Sea World to get more info about careers and training. We know a person who went through the Exotic Animal Program at Moorpark College and is now working rehabbing marine life. http://sunny.moorparkcollege.edu/~cbrinkman/page2.html.
@takeitallin, that is a great program (from what I have heard). I love that they have a working zoo. I would think pairing that with UC Davis would be excellent pre-professional preparation.
^^^It is a wonderful program. My kids went there on field trips when they were younger and the students would give a behind-the-scenes tour. It amazed me how fast the students were immersed into the program and how much responsibility they were given. It is a very competitive program to be accepted to and the graduated students do very well in the job market. I know it is a separate admissions process than that of the regular Moorpark CC campus. Applicants have to have completed several college courses prior to even applying for this program. Participants can complete their AA thru the program, but almost half the accepted students already have an AA and a good portion already have a Bachelor’s.