David Aldridge
Southampton, UK
Male, 25
After doing an undergraduate degree in marine biology, I'm now doing a marine biology PhD in the UK at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. I love what I do, but, contrary to popular belief, very few marine biologists actually swim with dolphins or spend their days scuba diving. In my spare time I edit a blog on marine science. Below is a link to a blog post I wrote on why I dread telling people I'm a marine biologist. I recommend that you check it out!
I’m embarrassed to admit this but I don’t actually own a home aquarium (and I call myself a ‘marine biologist’!). Perhaps when I’m older (richer) I will really splash out on something spectacular.
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Although it is not my area of expertise I think it is very exciting. I have friends that go on research cruises to explore the deepest depths of the ocean and they are frequently discovering amazing new life forms... the so-called 'Hoff Crab' springs to mind (discovered a year or two ago), which acquired that name because its hairy chest resembles a certain former Baywatch star. It in fact grows bacteria on its chest which it then eats to stay alive, so it basically farms its own food. To be honest, I think manned submersibles were surpassed some time ago by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). This is the favoured tool of deep-sea marine biologists as it can dive for far longer than any manned submersible (with no risk of loss to human life).
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I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I'm keeping an open mind right now. I do enjoy science communication, so maybe I'll look for a job doing that. Even if I stay in academia, or get a job in a different sector, I think I will always do it on the side as a hobby.
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It really depends on what you study. Most marine biologists will specialize in a certain area, ranging from equatorial to polar waters, from the surface to the very deepest depths of the ocean.
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I have not. I would love to go though (as I'm sure any biologist would). Hopefully one day I will have the opportunity.
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Apologies, but my knowledge of whales is really not very good. I’m not sure whether they can be saved easily: they are obviously very heavy and difficult to get back in the ocean, and whether they have a good chance of survival (if you can achieve this) I really don’t know. As for how it happens I think this article covers most of the main possible reasons: http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/f/whale_stranding.htm
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The point isn't that marine biology isn't as exciting as people think, it's that it isn't perhaps (to the outside observer at least) as glamorous as people think... although you do get to go to some amazing places and see some pretty cool stuff. I personally wasn't expecting "afternoons of manatee riding' (I studied it because I was interested in the biology side of it), but I think some people do think it is going to be like that. Those people don't tend to enjoy marine biology very much!
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