How To Become A Marine Biologist In India | Career Path, Skillset, Education Qualification

How To Become a Marine Biologist in India: Does Marine flora and fauna excite you? Do the words ocean, marine biologist, aquatic underworld fill you with a strong, unexplained surge of passion? Are you contemplating a career in Marine Biology? Enough with the questions, we know you are, and we are here to help you with exactly that!

If you desire a career in the field of oceans and marine life, learn everything you need to know about how to become a marine biologist in India right here. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know, from what is marine biology, what marine biologists do and how to become one should you decide it is for you. Read on to find out. Starting with

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  • What is Marine Biology?
  • Who Are Marine Biologists And What Do They Do?
  • What it’s like to be A Marine Biologist?
  • What it takes to be a Marine Biologist – a Requisite Skillset
  • Career Path – Becoming a Marine Biologist
  • Undergraduate Educational Qualification
  • Career Advancement
  • What is Marine Biology?

    Marine biology is the scientific study of plants and animals that live in saltwater or seas and oceans. Marine biology is a wide field of study involving various activities that can range anywhere from studying the physiology, anatomy or pathology of aquatic life and organisms, researching population behaviours or training aquatic animals, to studying the conditions of their habitats and the effects of human activities on aquatic life.

    Marine biology is a very broad field as you may have guessed, therefore there are many areas of focus, study and specialization within the field that can zoom in on specific species, groups, ecosystems or look at the larger environment and habitats.

    Who Are Marine Biologists And What Do They Do?

    Marine biologists are people who study and work within this broad field of study. Depending on their specialisation and chosen area of focus, they can have a title. Marine biologists can have anything and everything to do with marine fauna and flora, which is no way restricted to being in the ocean. Fieldwork, observation, study and care, specimen collection are roles that require being at the sea. But in addition to fieldwork, marine biologists also often undertake academic teaching in colleges and universities or research work, laboratory work, or work at biotechnology firms, aquariums and zoos.

    What it’s like to be A Marine Biologist?

    You can imagine yourself diving deep into the ocean, exploring its depth and meeting aquatic flora and fauna as well as analysing specimens in the lab and digging into your research work! Depending on your specialisation or choice of study you could be doing any of these or a combination of these and much more.

    What it takes to be a Marine Biologist – a Requisite Skillset

    Being a marine biologist is undertaking a life different from the norm. It’s a dedicated field of study that requires devotion and painstaking practice to make a meaningful contribution to science and a successful career for yourself.

    If you are fascinated by the mysteries of the ocean that’s a great starting point to a journey. If you are inquisitive by nature and love to explore, the job is compatible with your core. If you are driven by the desire for a rich experience and a different life – nothing like it. If you wish to make a positive impact on the world and a meaningful contribution to science, you are valuable and much needed. But there are other skills that shall assist you in your endeavour such as, you must be a hard worker and be able to work for long hours. This may often be at the sea or near the beach, so you must be physically fit as well to undertake the adventure. The skillset of a marine biologist also requires studying and researching vast materials and analysing specimens or other lab work, and in addition to that writing and drafting skills to assist in your own research work.

    Career Path – Becoming a Marine Biologist

    Becoming a marine biologist requires lots of studying and rigorous practice in the field. You can expect plenty of theoretical studies, and lab practicals to start with and more study, research, fieldwork and lab practice on the way to becoming a successful marine biologist in the future.

    There is no specific and hard blueprint to becoming a marine biologist, in fact opting for marine biology in your undergrad is also not a necessary requirement. You can opt for biology, zoology, engineering and mathematics in your undergrad and still become a marine biologist, however, a bachelor’s degree and study in a related science is necessary. However, a sure-shot way of becoming a marine biologist is by pursuing a full-fledged bachelor’s course in the subject.

    To pursue Marine Biology, there are undergraduate-level courses such as Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. To make an entry into this, a candidate needs to fulfil the following criteria:

    Undergraduate Educational Qualification

    • 10 + 2 in the Science stream, with Biology as a subject. Biology as an additional subject is also eligible.
    • Having cleared 10 + 2 with a minimum of 55%

    Few colleges offer direct admission based on the cut off of marks. Some colleges undertake a selection of candidates via entrance exams, they conduct their entrance tests and students who qualify are awarded admission.

    Career Advancement

    Once you start your journey of becoming a marine biologist, your undergraduate degree is the first step to the greater learning and practice the field requires. With requisite experience in relevant areas, you can gather experience and knowledge. In addition to that higher education, masters and specialisation can help in career advancement.

    You can go for a post-graduation, the eligibility criteria for which is–

    • Having successfully completed your bachelor’s degree in life sciences, such as marine biology, or botany, aquaculture, zoology, biochemistry, microbiology, biotechnology.
    • Having passed with a minimum of 55% marks in bachelor’s degree

    Many universities also offer M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D. for which they may conduct entrance exams.

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