Marine science may seem to be more part of the blue economy than the green economy, given that it deals entirely with the ocean and other large, natural bodies of water. But it’s still considered a green job, especially as new technologies like hydropower make their entrance into the ever-evolving global renewable energy landscape — or, rather, seascape.
As we continue our series highlighting the different sectors and green jobs available, we will take a look at the marine science industry in this article.
Our mission is to help connect jobseekers with green jobs, and this series will help to showcase the many different types of opportunities available.
What is Marine Science?
Marine science is a highly specialized field that focuses on studying marine life and conservation of the ocean, including researching new technologies that harness the ocean’s natural resources to produce cleaner energy.
No, it’s not that kind of marine.
At it's core, marine science is something of an intersection between the scientific and physical aspects of biology and environmental science, but specific to saltwater environments.
This is why marine science counts as both a career path in the blue and green economies. Its connection to the blue economy is fairly obvious, given the appropriate name.
But the blue economy itself can be considered a subset of the green economy, which encompasses a wide range of skills and disciplines that have to do with the environment — whether on land or on the sea.
What Kind of Jobs Exist in Marine Science?
Careers in marine science can range from the theoretical to almost entirely physical, where researchers spend large amounts of time physically interacting with ocean environments.
Beach lifeguards may not exactly count as marine scientists (and neither may those whose jobs are just “beach”), but it’s not far-fetched to expect some jobs in this field to know how to swim.
What are Some of the Most Popular Marine Biology Jobs?
Some of the most popular green jobs in marine science include:
- Marine Biologist — Field research, sample collection and scientific analysis, study and documentation of environmental impact of human activity on ocean wildlife.
- Marine Engineer — Designing, developing, and overseeing construction of environmentally-sound marine structures such as ships, offshore platforms, and underwater vehicles.
- Operations Coordinator — Planning and coordination of marine projects as well as traffic movement between ports and offshore sites.
- Oceanographer — Environmental monitoring, researching and collecting data on ocean activity such as water quality, changes in temperature from climate change, and impacts of pollution.
- Policy Analyst/Consultant — Analysis and evaluation of government policies and regulations related to the ocean, advising corporations on the impact of proposed marine policies and projects.
- Marine Conservationist — Development of solutions to limit marine degradation, management of awareness campaigns including advocacy for marine policy change.
How to Get a Job in Marine Science?
As a specialized field, most jobs in marine science require at least an undergraduate degree or a high level of experience in a related field.
If you’re interested in pursuing this career path, you will likely have to first complete a specialized degree program from an accredited post-secondary institution, or at least a high level of certification.
Check out our other Green Economy Feature Series articles: