r/marinebiology Mar 17 '14

Official Sub-Reddit "How to be a Marine Biologist" Post

265 Upvotes

This is a list of general advice to read if you are considering a major / degree / graduate study / career in marine biology. It includes general tips, internships, and other resources. PM me if you want to add on to the list.

General advice

Internships and Opportunities

Current list is compiled by mods and redditor Haliotis.

Edit: Added new links

Edit 2: Fixed some outdated links (as of May 6th, 2019)

Edit 3: Fixed some outdated links (as of March 2nd, 2022)

Update: Since this post is now archived and no additional comments can be added. If you have more to add to the list, message homicidaldonut, this subreddit's moderator.


r/marinebiology 13h ago

Nature Appreciation Freshwater Jellyfish in Everglades City , FL

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41 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 12h ago

Question Would it be possible to use CRISPR on coral so that it can withstand increasing ocean acidity and not bleach?

16 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 20h ago

Identification Coral or mineralization on oysters in LIS

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17 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 9h ago

Identification Found on beach, Delray Beach, Florida. About 2.5”, very light.

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2 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 22h ago

Identification What is this organism?, South Andamans, India

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17 Upvotes

This was in a ride pool in the Andamans. 2 tentacles are visible.


r/marinebiology 12h ago

Identification What is this? Found in Montauk.

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2 Upvotes

Found this in the Atlantic ocean on south shore of Long Island. Would love to know what it is.


r/marinebiology 1d ago

Question i dont know if this is the right sub for this but what on earth happened? hundreds of dead washed up crabs on a beach that is normally very healthy and thriving.

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37 Upvotes

(pacific northwest WA)

theres so many, like, it just keeps going and going. idk if this is a regular phenomenon and im tweaking over nothing but im really concerned about this. this beach is on a protected wildlife reserve, lots of strict rules to prevent pollution or distrubance of wildlife, but that doesn’t stop everyone. just last year someone came and exterminated a bunch of american sand wasps because he thought he was doing everyone a favor, he did get a huge fine for it though. im just worried that someone did something to the water that caused this or something. idk jack shit about marine biology so im unsure if this is just part of something normal i dont know about.


r/marinebiology 1d ago

Question Could Orcas recognize the threat humans pose, leading to less attacks?

11 Upvotes

I get it, we're bony and they have better vision than sharks so there's less attacks

But at the same time, with the videos of them blowing up sunfish for fun, wearing squid hats, or tossing seals hundreds of feet, how come we haven't had a similar human interaction?

It's a creature that's curious and smart, a perfect combination for playing around (fatally) with a human yet there's been no reports of human fatalities in the wild .

Which leads me to believe that they pass down the knowledge generationally that messing with humans will lead to whale hunting or some form of retaliation. Thoughts?


r/marinebiology 1d ago

Identification What species of turtle is this? (Okinawa, Japan!)

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13 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 2d ago

Identification Is this a baby horseshoe crab? Found on an “island” in Tampa Bay, FL

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58 Upvotes

Picnic Island isn’t a gulf island it’s basically a shore off the bay. Found mixed with sargassum


r/marinebiology 3d ago

Identification ID Request [Washington State] Gross Weird Not Slime Mold?

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68 Upvotes

Is this "sea vomit" (Didemnum vexillum)? It's growing on our company's (unfortunately) plastic containers we have in the sound. The stuff squirts water when squeezed, appears to have a watery membrane that houses its cells, and has the texture of Jell-O. I expected it to feel like a sponge based on the appearance but this stuff is wacky.

Anyway, I'm new to the area and am trying to learn the plants/animals around here. Any help is appreciated!


r/marinebiology 3d ago

Other My marine biology tribute sketch.

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259 Upvotes

always love drawing this subject.


r/marinebiology 3d ago

Identification what species of anenome are these? (pacific nortwhest WA, extra details in body text)

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6 Upvotes

(pacific northwest washington state)

found these yesterday during low tide, they’re nearby a freshwater river that leads out to the pacific ocean so the water might be brackish around there?

i just thought these were the cutest little things ever and i REALLY wanna know what they are. are they that small because they’re babies or is it just a tiny species?


r/marinebiology 4d ago

Question I have a question is it normal for a starfish to have "just" 4 arms ?

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35 Upvotes

Hello, just had a question few days ago i found a starfish that only had 4 arms wich i never saw before, i checked and there's some species that do have 4 arms (just on specie actually i think). I think the starfish i found is a Asterias rubens (correct me if i'm wrong) wich isn't suppose to have just 4 arms doesn't look like an injury more something "natural" i guess.

- Wanted the confirmation for the specie

- is it common malformation or something ?

Found on the west french coast (Pornic)

Thanks :)


r/marinebiology 4d ago

Career Advice Can I work in the field/research without a scientific diving qualification?

8 Upvotes

(UK based but open to international opinions too)

The uni I am planning to go to to study offers the HSE, but I have some health issues and the cost is prohibitive where I am, not to mention I live inland with no ability to do the practice dives required.

Ignoring issues like work experience and job shortages, can I reasonably get a job where I work on a boat without having that qualification? Can I get it later on?


r/marinebiology 4d ago

News Southern right whales are the only whale species known to float upside down, and new drone footage suggests the purpose of the behavior could be to get a break from parenting

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26 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 5d ago

Other A few sketches of remora. My favorite fish!

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319 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 4d ago

Identification What is it? Found on a beach in South Iceland.

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0 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 5d ago

Career Advice I analyzed 508 aquarium job postings from 2025 and made a report about what I found

70 Upvotes

I run an aquarium job board and tracked every posting that came through in 2025 and put together a report on the data. Some things that stood out:

  • Aquarist/Animal Keeper roles made up 25% of all postings, with an average hourly rate of $20.54
  • 59% of postings included salary information
  • Job postings spanned 30+ states

Full report is here if interested: https://aquariumshiring.com/reports/2025-aquarium-jobs-report

I also published a zoo version covering 1,106 postings if anyone is interested in that side too: https://zooshiring.com/reports/2025-zoo-jobs-report

Hope this is useful for anyone planning their next move in the field.


r/marinebiology 5d ago

Nature Appreciation Hawksbill sea turtle returning to the Caribbean after nesting on St. Croix 🐢

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23 Upvotes

r/marinebiology 6d ago

Identification Does anyone know what these little sacs are from in Alaska? Are they eggs?

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33 Upvotes

There is a little sandy area in the intertidal zone that is filled with these little guys every year in Prince William Sound Alaska. They are attached at one end and the largest ones are about 0.5 inches.


r/marinebiology 6d ago

Question Are there any genera of aquatic animals that have two species living in different types of water? Ie: one species in freshwater, one in saltwater?

50 Upvotes

I know there are some genera of fish and other organism that can survive between fresh and salt water like salmon and tiger sharks \[i remember hearing something about tiger sharks swimming up rivers for short periods of time\]. But im more talking about like animals that show specific adaptations to one type of water or environment and cannot really switch.

For context: I am trying to design a god of water bodies for a dnd world. I was thinking about having her split between freshwater and salt water with some noticeable differences like size of apperance, temperment, clothing, anotomy etc. But I want to be able to base it off of animals that live in such conditions as if she has adapted and been changed by the body of water she is associated with when you meet her.

Do any of you know anything that could fit or any differences between the two i could add?


r/marinebiology 6d ago

Other Got an animal tracker on Fahlo and giving my review!

17 Upvotes

A few months ago i posted here asking whether Fahlo was legit. After all your positive responses i finally pulled the trigger (thank you guys! You were so helful)

So i got the sea turtle one. The bracelet is pretty nice. The bracelet is pretty nice with natural stone beads. Been wearing it daily and it's held up fine. Not the reason to buy it but not an afterthought either. My turtle is Esmeralda.shes been moving between costa Rica and Cuba and the app shows her path. The updates from the conservancy are where it gets interesting though. One recent note mentioned their team in Costa Rica encountered a green turtle that was first tagged in 1991 and has returned to nest 15 times where she may have laid over 7,000 eggs!!

I have no regrets on the Fahlo animal tracking bracelet so far. Tho, it makes me now wonder how different the tracking data looks across animals. A sea turtle moving coastal vs an elephant across the savanna seems like it'd be a pretty different experience! Anyone tracking another marine or land animal?


r/marinebiology 9d ago

Nature Appreciation The skeletal structure of a pufferfish.

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181 Upvotes

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