Since the early days of Jacques Cousteau, the science of marine biology and biological oceanography has been viewed by the general public as the adventurous pursuit of diving beneath the crystal blue waters of the ocean to swim with whales and photograph the multicolored life teeming in the warm waters of a coral reef. Although studying the living creatures of the sea can be interesting and rewarding, it does not always involve such glamorous outdoor activities. A marine biologist may spend much time collecting organisms in coastal waters as well as on the open ocean. He or she will definitely spend much time in the laboratory peering through a microscope, doing chemical analyses, or entering data into a computer.
Marine biology cuts across many fields of study and covers many subjects.
As a result, a marine biologist may specialize in such areas as marine ecology, physiology, anatomy, botany, or fisheries. Marine Biology also encompasses applied areas of study. These may include studying effects of toxic chemicals on living organisms, culturing shellfish and finfish, and studying human impacts on the marine environment. In the MMS, marine biologists use their training in a variety of ways. For example, they design environmental studies that assess potential impacts of oil and gas development on the marine environment.