Marine Biologists

[dismayed]

I have really become fascinated with this hobby of marine fish and reefs. So much of what I know and the books I have read are really put together by other hobbyists. Because my background is in science, the more I play around in this hobby the more I find myself really wishing I had some formal scientific training in marine biology.

If I wanted to take some online courses from a university, or read some hard scientific texts... does anyone have any suggestions on where or what I should be looking at?

To clarify, I have a great career that I have no intentions of moving away from. But I would like to take some courses, or maybe even someday get a degree in a marine field just for my own personal edification.

I did some browsing through the University of California system but surprisingly didn't find a lot of detail. I'm very far in-land which is why I was thinking online courses from another state's university might be best.

Suggestions? Thanks.

[snorvich]

Interesting topic. Anyone?

[norskfisk]

For a soft start you could try Ron Shimek's articles in reefkeeping magazine. He is giving good introductions to most of the marine animal groups in a very scientific way. There are about 80 articles and once you're done with those you have a good foundation. Each article has dozens of references for "further reading". Mostly books that you can find in university libraries. As time goes by more and more of those texts will be available online too.

Just go to "past issues", "Index by Author", Ronald L. Shimek Ph.D and you've got a whole little treasure chest.

[camaroracer214]

i'll be honest, becoming a marine biologist has been a wash for me career-wise. i followed my heart, did what i wanted to do, and can't get a marine biology related job to save my life. i don't personally get why, because i did pretty well in school and have a passion for it. i have friends who did far worse than i did (and i mean like half my gpa) and have gotten research type jobs or other jobs way before i did. but, i have picked myself back up and am in the process of getting a second degree in a better field.

as for the overall process...i would say that i learned quite a bit more about the aquarium hobby by researching on my own about aquarium topics. but this has mostly to do with location. had i gotten a degree from an australian university, it would have been more reef related as opposed to gulf coast related because i went to school on the texas gulf coast. but the education has helped me a lot in this hobby...mostly with fish identifying, diseases, and stuff like that. you'd be surprised at how poorly marine biologists take care of live animals.

[stylolvr]

I agree, and am in the same boat as, camaroracer214. I have a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Marine Science from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and it is difficult to find a job/career worth your time. The jobs can be rewarding, but the average starting salary in my area is around $24K - not much to raise a family with. For me, it is now off to Med. School (mainly to fund this hobby!!!!).

As for good texts to read, it depends on what you are looking for IMO. If you are looking for reefkeeping related info, Dr. Shimek's articles are top notch, and there is tons of knowledge to be gained right here on RC. If you are looking for more in depth, scientific reading (anatomy, biochemistry, life histories, etc.) about fish, I have a textbook called 'Biology of Fishes' by Bond that you can get on Amazon. It is currently one of the staple texts used in graduate level classrooms around the world, and has a TON of great stuff. It may also be beneficial to get a subscription to scientific journals:

Marine Science
Marine Biology
Coral Reefs
Galaxea
Reef Research
Journal of Marine Animals and their Ecology
Journal of Marine Research

The list goes on and on. If you google search for 'journal of marine', you will get the idea. The subscriptions are not very expensive, and there is always a ton of good, scientific info in them based on real research (not Wikipedia-style).

Hope this helps!