A marine scientist

Marine science is a multidimensional discipline that includes many different fields of research. The scientists at the Oceanographic Research Institute are involved in a wide variety of projects from tag and release programmes, to research on marine protected areas, fisheries, lobsters and estuaries.

This is a typical day in the life of a coral research scientist. These scientists are lucky enough to spend their working (and non-working) hours investigating coral reefs.

Corals reefs are fascinating ecosystems because they provide a habitat for hundreds of thousands of animals. Not only are they very diverse, but they are also very important to humans because they provide protection to the shore from erosion by waves, they provide a habitat for fish that constitutes a vital source of food to many countries, and they generate enormous revenue through tourism. The Oceanographic Research Institute has been studying South Africa’s coral reefs for more than 20 years. These reefs are located at Sodwana Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal along the beautiful Maputaland coast. Every two months the coral scientists go to Sodwana Bay to conduct research on the reefs by investigating the coral and fish communities. All of their work is done underwater using SCUBA gear. To record the data collected, they write on plastic slates with pencils and make use of photography to a great extent because this allows them to record lots of information in a relatively short space of time.

Most of the day is spent at sea, collecting data so they see amazing things like whales, sharks, turtles and many different types of corals and fish. This type of work may seem easy, but the scientists have to be fit to do lots of diving and they cannot get sea sick on the boat when the weather is rough. Luckily they don’t launch the boat when it is too rough because safety is the most important consideration when diving.

Although their job allows them to SCUBA dive and spend time looking at brightly coloured fish and corals, there are always two sides to every coin. When the scientists are not in the field, they spend time in front of computers analyzing the data that they have collected on various field trips. This means entering data into spreadsheets, analyzing photographs and doing statistical analyses. Office time is not as exciting as fieldwork but it is the most important part of being a marine scientist! The data must be processed and the results of analyses interpreted. These results and interpretations must then be compiled into reports and published in international journals to make them available to the wider marine community. Publishing research is very important because it enables researchers in all parts of the world to have access to research and compare findings. In that way a better understanding of the changes taking place on coral reefs throughout the world is gained.

Coral reefs are unique ecosystems that are under threat due to global climate change and human population pressure. We hope that more people will become marine biologists to help save coral reefs.

In order to be a scientist you need a Bachelor of Science degree with the eventual aim of a Masters degree and possibly a Doctorate. This involves long hours of dedication and hard work.