Eric Romero

            Environmental Engineering is an interesting career and will be needed in the near future also Marine Biology. Because of the way the earth is changing, we need to learn and understand the environment and were its going and how it is affecting us. Since the earth is about 70% water it is very important to understand it and all its leaving things. That is what a Marine Biologist do, study the water and the animals that in-habit it.

            The field of marine biology - the study of marine organisms, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment - is considered one of the most all-encompassing fields of oceanography. To understand marine organisms and their behaviors completely, Marine Biologists must have a basic understanding of other aspects or "disciplines" of oceanography, such as chemical oceanography, physical oceanography, and geological oceanography. Therefore, Marine Biologists and biological oceanographers study these other fields throughout their careers, enabling them to take a "big picture" approach to doing research.

Because there are so many topics one could study within the field of marine biology, many researchers select a particular interest and specialize in it. Specializations can be based on a particular species, organism, behavior, technique, or ecosystem. For example, Marine Biologists may choose to study a single species of clams, or all clams that are native to a climate or region.

One area of specialization, the emerging field of Marine Biotechnology, offers great opportunity for Marine Biologists. Marine Biotechnology research presents a wide range of possibilities and applications. One focus area is the biomedical field, where scientists develop and test drugs, many of which come from marine organisms. An example of an application of biotechnology research can be seen in industry or defense, where researchers have developed non-toxic coatings that prevent the build-up of fouling organisms, such as barnacles and zebra mussels. Such coatings are useful for ships and intake pipes used in power plants. And there is many more specialization in marine biology.

            These salaries are all annually; this is how much they make in a year. A Biologist with a B.S. makes 25,400, a M.S. 26,900, a Ph.D. 52,400. A Chemist with a B.S. makes 49,400, a M.S. 56,200, a Ph.D. 71,000.compared to other jobs is not a lot but if you like your job the amount you get doesn’t really matter.

            In order to be a marine biologist it is said that it would be much easier, in the summer of your junior and senior year to get a summer job or internship, or take a course in a marine lab. This will do more than any 5 Marine Biology courses in college. After college your Marine Biology education will be acquired in graduate school. Another good strategy is to be a Biology Major in a college that has marine biologists doing research. To be a Marine Technician a Masters will do, but a Ph.D. is essential to become an independent scholar who can supervise research projects be a well-placed official in an environmental protection agency, etc.

            A Masters degree will usually take about 2 years to complete. You want to pick up a core education in marine biology, but, depending upon your career goals, you may want a very specific set of courses and an opportunity to do some research. It may be possible to rapidly complete a Masters but you may have no substantive education to apply to a job. This will especially be true if you want to work in a specific field, such as shellfish mariculture. The Ph.D. degree will take an average of six years in a United States graduate school, but there is considerable variability around the world. In the United Kingdom and Australia for example, Ph.D. degrees tend to take 3-4 years, as they tend to omit formal course work, emphasizing research. In the USA many Ph.D. programs take good students right from their undergraduate school, but a substantial number of students take a masters degree first, to see if they want to go through with a Ph.D. Institutions such as the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook and the Virginia Inst. of Marine Sciences have dual programs, which allows a smooth transition from Masters to Ph.D. student status.

            Disadvantages for Marine Biologist are that the salary is somewhat low. But that would be it. Advantages are that you are doing what you love to do; travel, often to fascinating and lovely places; interactions with interesting folks.

            In order for this career to be perfect for you, you have to like the outdoors and you have to like repetitive work. You also have to like to communicate and have the facility to write and speak well. Most important of all, you have to like to THINK and have NEW IDEAS.

Advancements in this career depend on your track. If you are at a university, you might ascend the ranks from Assistant to Associate to Full Professor. If things are going a bit wrong for you, you could choose to be an administrator. This will lead you to being a Dean, or even a Provost. You can even grow up to be university president.

If you enter the field of environmental management, one usually works plowing the fields of environmental impact statement construction as a private company employee, as in a consulting company, or evaluating such statements if in government also you can be extremely influential as a government agency officer.

            The other career is Environmental Engineering. Environmental engineers develop solutions to environmental problems using the principles of biology and chemistry. They are involved in water and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, and public health issues. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies in which they evaluate the significance of the hazard, advice on treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent mishaps. They design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems. They conduct research on the environmental impact of proposed construction projects, analyze scientific data, and perform quality-control checks. Environmental engineers are concerned with local and worldwide environmental issues. They study and attempt to minimize the effects of acid rain, global warming, automobile emissions, and ozone depletion. They may also be involved in the protection of wildlife. Many environmental engineers work as consultants, helping their clients to comply with regulations, to prevent environmental damage, and to clean up hazardous sites.

            Environmental engineering graduates should have favorable job opportunities. Employment of environmental engineers is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2012. Much of the expected growth will be due to the emergence of this occupation as a widely recognized engineering specialty rather than as an area that other engineering specialties, such as civil engineers, specialize in. More environmental engineers will be needed to comply with environmental regulations and to develop methods of cleaning up existing hazards. A shift in emphasis toward preventing problems rather than controlling those that already exist, as well as increasing public health concerns, also will spur demand for environmental engineers. However, political factors determine the job outlook for environmental engineers more than that for other engineers. Looser environmental regulations would reduce job opportunities; stricter regulations would enhance opportunities.

A bachelor’s degree in engineering is required for almost all entry-level engineering jobs. College graduates with a degree in a natural science or mathematics occasionally may qualify for some engineering jobs, especially in specialties in high demand. Most engineering degrees are granted in electrical, electronics, mechanical, or civil engineering. Most engineering programs involve a concentration of study in an engineering specialty, along with courses in both mathematics and the physical and life sciences. Many programs also include courses in general engineering. A design course, sometimes accompanied by a computer or laboratory class or both, is part of the curriculum of most programs. General courses not directly related to engineering, such as those in the social sciences or humanities, are also often required.

            Median annual earnings of environmental engineers were $61,410 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $47,650 and $77,360. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,510. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of environmental engineers in 2002 were:

According to a 2003 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, B.S. degree candidates in environmental/environmental health engineering received starting offers averaging $44,702 a year.

            Some of the advantages and disadvantages are that there have always been many more jobs than environmental engineers to fill them. So, you will never be out of work. However, the work of an environmental engineer changes with changing government policies and the public's priorities --- for a time you might work with wastewater, then for another time with solid waste and still other specialties before retirement. Accordingly, a commitment to life-long learning is essential --- a college degree is just the beginning of ones education.

            As I summarize my career research I realize that my two passion some how can be used to satisfy one another. One is a Marine Biologist, studying marine organisms, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment and the other being an Environmental Engineer help figure out solutions to environmental problems using the principles of biology and chemistry. I can combine these two with gathering data from the ocean and using them to help our green planet. These two careers are so-fascinating, as I did this research I realize that this is what I wanted to do, I understood them more and there purposes. And personally for me is not about money but about what I can contribute back to life.