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In marine biology, you may work within universities or museums or consult to industry as an environmental expert. You could also work for national organisations, such as the Australian Institute of Marine Science, CALM (The Department of Conservation and Land Management), CSIRO, or the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority.

The employment opportunities for marine biologists are usually dependent on federal and state government funding allocations. This is an occupation with very few employment vacancies, so the competition for positions is very tough. You may wish to use your studies in marine biology to move into aquaculture, which is expected to have strong employment opportunities in the future.

Environment & Culture

The environment you work in will depend on your specialisation. Your workplace may range from the library to the laboratory, from a sea vessel on the ocean to a field station on the coast. You will be expected to have boating and scuba diving licences to undertake most aspects of fieldwork. It is possible that your research will take you under the sea, whether collecting organisms for laboratory experiments or simply observing.

Your working hours will depend entirely on your research. Time is not as much of a concern as the appropriate conditions and circumstances, so you work around the marine life and weather conditions, not the clock. Generally, you are working towards set deadlines for grants, research talks and submissions.

If you are a marine biologist working in an office, you generally follow set hours, usually 9am to 5pm.