The ocean gives us life. It gives us oxygen, rain, food, excitement, wonder and mystery. It buffers the weather and helps regulate global temperature. Despite being the recipient of vast amounts of pollutants, it contains all kinds of amazing creatures and supports life on the rest of our planet.

About 71 per cent of the surface of this planet is covered by salt water. Since life exists throughout this immense volume of water, the oceans are the single largest repository of organisms on the planet. These organisms include members of virtually all phyla and are tremendously varied. Marine biology is the scientific study of animals, plants and other organisms that live in the oceans.

Our society draws heavily on coastal and marine ecosystems for food, transportation, recreation and waste disposal. Coastal ecosystems (for instance, coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands) are also some of the world’s richest storehouses of biological diversity and generators of primary productivity.

It is estimated that about half of the world’s coastal ecosystems face a significant risk of degradation from human activities. Marine conservation efforts are currently outnumbered by the problems. The South and Southeast Asian coastal ecosystems are perhaps among the most threatened regions.

What do I have to do?

Marine biologists provide solutions to problems like overfishing, environmental waste management or the aquarium trade. They discover the truth about marine life on this planet. Hundreds of thousands of species in the sea have been identified but it is quite possible that there are thousands more that haven’t been discovered yet.

Each marine species is fascinating and unique and some may hold the key to a cure for cancer or AIDS or other devastating illnesses. The life that exists beneath the surface of the sea is far more important to humans and other land animals than most of us realise.

We must make sure that the rich biodiversity of our oceans is protected. Our ultimate goal should be to improve the health of our oceans and the life that they sustain.

As a marine biologist, you may have to count marine creatures, do their DNA sequencing, observe them in the laboratory or make theoretical models predicting their abundance when fishing is decreased. Thus, marine biologists do many things but what they have in common is that they work with marine organisms.

If you would like to become a marine biologist, you must like the outdoors, be able to communicate well and be creative. Many marine biology problems today require thinking “outside the box”, and linkages between different disciplines can therefore be very rewarding.

What should I study?

To be eligible for admission to a postgraduate course in marine biology, you should have a BSc degree with zoology as a main subject and botany, biochemistry, chemistry or geology as subsidiary subjects with at least 55 per cent marks.

What next?

Many marine biologists work in universities. Some are employed by government agencies to monitor pollution and marine life and make policies to manage fisheries and control pollution. Non-governmental organisations that seek to protect marine environments, and aquariums and zoos also offer opportunities.

Marine biologists are hired by laboratories of institutes such as the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, or state departments of environmental protection. They often work as technicians and field workers in companies that are engaged in ocean-related activities.

where to study

• Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar.
• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.
• Pondicherry University, Pondicherry.
• Karnataka University, Dharwad.
• Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi.
• Goa University, Goa.