Marine biologist

Written by Charlotte Boan Thursday, 29 May 2008 00:00

Sue Scott, 55, has been a marine biologist for more than 30 years. Growing up on the She learned to dive while at university and has worked for marine projects around the world.

Salary range: It is quite hard to be employed all year round. In the UK, the daily fee can be anything between £200 and £350, if you work for a private consultancy firm. However, if you’re working overseas, when it’s an exciting job in an exciting location, you may drop your fees.

Skills/qualifications needed: A degree in marine biology and a HSE-recognised diving qualification. Underwater photography is certainly a beneficial extra skill, as is a good knowledge of identifying marine life.

What the job involves: Getting the information and passing it on to people. The biggest employers are countryside agencies, European conservation organisations and agencies that carry out environmental impact assessments. If any work is being done that may affect the sea bed, such as building new roads and bridges, an impact survey must be undertaken. European conservation sites need to be monitored and kept in a good state. Other sites also need to be assessed for protection status.

Best part of the job: Going to new places and diving where no one has gone before, or where you wouldn’t think it would be any good. Discovering new creatures or those new to science is great. I once had a seaweed named after me in the UK.

Worst part of the job: Going out in conditions that other people would not even consider. You need to know what’s there in winter, too!

Advice to jobseekers: Go for it! You have to work quite hard to be employed all year and have to be prepared to put in a lot of tenders, but there are lots of opportunities out there these days. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.