Marine biologist

A marine biologist prepares a research proposal, collects material and data in the field, then works it up in the laboratory using techniques such as species identification, dissection and biochemical analysis. They run experiments under controlled conditions to see how an organism responds when a single factor changes, be it temperature, salinity or light. Experimental data is then analysed statistically, and from it they describe a species' physiology, its interactions with other organisms and with its habitat, and the course of its evolution.

Identification rests on taxonomy, and with fish on detailed anatomy, because fin arrangement, gill cover structure and dentition separate one species from another. Fieldwork means studying fauna in its own environment: underwater, at research stations and from a vessel.

Marine biologists also study the impact of human activity on life in the seas, from fishing and pollution to change in habitats. Scientific research methodology is the foundation, meaning the ability to frame a question that can actually be tested. Training for this occupation begins there, alongside taxonomy and laboratory technique.