<p>I am a pre med student that is planning on majoring in marine biology at UCSB. Is this a bad idea? Many people always say that you should not major in marine biology because of the career prospects. Let's say that I don't make it into Med School...what could you do with a marine biology major?</p>
<p>Come on guys! I really need advice! Please? (:</p>
<p>Absolutely nothing. Marine biology is more of a hobby than a career. There is no demand for marine biology research in the US. There are marine biologists out there that get paid to do what they love, but good luck finding those jobs. It’s like trying to become a famous actor or a famous musician. It’s just not probable.</p>
<p>You are better off changing your major to something that has good job prospects unless you are 100% sure that you will get into medical school. Otherwise, go ahead and major in marine biology and just do your thing. Get straight As, good mcat scores, and decent ECs.</p>
<p>I have to warn you though… MCATs are going to be revamped 2015 and everyone who plans on taking it after that is basically going to be a guinea pig. Study material won’t be readily available.</p>
<p>@csh123</p>
<p>So, am I in better luck majoring in biology other than marine biology? How can I show my interest in marine biology besides majoring in it? Are there other ways to pursue my interest? lol, I hope that wasn’t a weird question…(:</p>
<p>If you know medicine is something you want to do and marine biology is a passion of yours, by all means major in marine biology. Majoring in biology over marine biology won’t change your poor job prospects for the given major.</p>
<p>I’m just warning you, be prepared to face the consequences if you don’t get into medical school. Or prepare yourself to get into medical school.</p>
<p>If you aren’t willing to give it all you have in order to get top notch grades, good ECs, and good MCAT scores, then premed isn’t even worth your time. I know a ton of people that said they were “pre-med” their freshman year. 80% of them changed their mind after they were weeded out. 50-70% of the remaining 20% will actually get into medical school and those who didn’t get in will either go into an SMP or give up trying and end up in a big mess.</p>
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I have long been critical of marine biology majors. For one, marine biology is a specialized field best left for graduate school. For another, it is more difficult to branch out from marine biology to other fields than it is from biology, geology, or other disciplines. </p>
<p>That said, you are pre-med rather than a potential marine biologist, and virtually any major works for pre-med; I know current med school students who majored in Medieval studies, classics, and music. The field of marine biomedicine (more on that below) is something that’s become of considerable interest to NSF/NIH recently and holds great promise.</p>
<p>If you are worried about job prospects, consider combining marine biology with a more practical major. Getting teaching certification is one option; private schools especially pay pretty well, and many schools are desperate for good science teachers. There are many other practical majors – statistics, geography, public policy, econ, communications, etc. – that mesh well with both marine biology and medicine. </p>
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At the undergraduate level, I agree. There is very little one can do with a BS or even MS in marine biology, and job prospects are indeed poor. At the PhD level, I disagree.</p>
<p>People like to breathe; things are more comfortable that way. Surprisingly, most of them are unaware that terrestrial plants are wholly insufficient for our oxygen needs. Phytoplankton in the ocean are responsible for the production of about 70% of atmospheric oxygen. In fact, just one genus of plankton alone - Prochlorococcus - is responsible for about one in five breaths that you take. Uncomfortably, the amount of phytoplankton in the ocean has declined by 40% since 1950, most likely due to rising ocean temperatures. If people in fields you favor - say, math or business majors - are capable of efficiently converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on a massive scale, we’re all set. If not, it’s best to continue as is currently the case; monitoring oxygen and plankton levels and, if necessary, deciding what protective measures should be taken. </p>
<p>Fish is an important part of most diets, and only China and Japan consume more fish than the US. Each year, Americans consume around 5 billion pounds of seafood. Roughly 85% of that seafood is imported; American aquaculture accounts for a shockingly low 2% of American seafood consumption, in marked contrast to the 45-50% made up by foreign aquaculture. It is clear that the US is sadly lagging in aquaculture, and marine biologists are vital in the selection and management of viable species. This is particularly important since studies estimate that somewhere between 75% and 80% of the world’s fisheries are overfished, many of them drastically so. The worldwide population of krill has fallen by 80% due to climate change and (Japanese) fishing, with vertebrate species like whales, penguins, and most fish taking a tremendous hit as a result. It’s the marine equivalent of wiping out the vast majority of terrestrial grass. Rutgers alone received around $40 million dollars to investigate aquaculture last year. </p>
<p>Are you familiar with the field of marine biomedicine? The ocean is a veritable cornucopia of untapped and unidentified chemical compounds that show tremendous promise for drug development. For example, marine biologists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography recently isolated a previously unknown compound, hoiamide A, from cyanobacteria that could assist with a number of neurodegenerative disorders. The compound batzelline, found in sponges, has been proven to be effective against cancer. There are numerous other examples. </p>
<p>Marine organisms have also proven themselves useful in engineering. Many fish like tuna approach nearly 100% propulsion efficiency. Marine biologists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution worked with engineers from MIT to develop boats that emulated the movement of penguins and tuna and exceeded 85% efficiency; existing boats are typically less than 70% efficient.</p>
<p>In short, yes, marine science has a great deal to offer people, particularly when coupled with its sister disciplines of chemistry, geology, and engineering, and is far from a “hobby.” No, the job prospects are not fantastic, but with a bit of luck, hard work, and ingenuity, most people come up with something. </p>
<p>I am not sure who designated you the science authority on CC, but you are too frequently assertive about fields with which you’re clearly not familiar. It’s true that the number of Attenborough or Cousteau-type jobs are vanishingly rare. On the other hand, if you are willing to be flexible and expand into niche markets (microfossils and climate study, fish cultivation, shoreline ecology and erosion, business for aquariums/zoos, etc.) your options are decent.</p>
<p>Of the several dozen marine science graduates I know, most of them are not working with dolphins or sharks. Most of them are gainfully employed with reasonable incomes, however, and I think very few would change their career paths if given the opportunity to do so.</p>
<p>Would it help with job prospects if I majored in Biology or Marine Biology and minor in Dance?</p>
<p>^^ Absolutely not. A minor doesn’t really mean anything unless it’s something useful such as economics or math. A dance minor will just show that you had an interest in taking dance classes, nothing more, nothing less. It will not add to the already poor job prospects of a Biology or Marine Biology major.</p>
<p>Doing something like major in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering and minor in Marine Biology.</p>