Growth in the employment of marine biologists in Canterbury is expected to be static to moderate in the next three to five years. There are currently few marine biologists working in the Canterbury area, although some are based in the region but work in other areas of the country. This may be due to the fact that there is little activity within the field of marine biology within this region. The exception to this, is marine farming, which is growing in the Banks Peninsula area, and therefore may create more opportunities for marine biologists. It also appears that there is an increasing awareness of the marine environment, with organisations such as Department of Conservation, Regional Council and consultancy agencies becoming involved in work connected with marine issues.
Staff turnover is reported to be low to moderate as positions are difficult to find.
Therefore, once people find a job they are unlikely to leave. Marine biologists may, however, leave to work overseas and quite a few new graduates find jobs overseas. Others however, are working part time, on temporary and voluntary contracts or in a combination of these. Most marine bioloigsts are male, but this is not reflected in the gender balance of graduates completing courses. It is likely, therefore, that the balance will shift over the next three to five years, to reflect more women working in the field.