I need to know, who in this group actually became a marine biologist?

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WheelLeast1873@reddit

The sea was angry that day my friends.

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Toblogan@reddit

I have a friend that I went to highschool with who became a marine biologist, but he kinda just ended up there. I don't think he intended to be a marine biologist. Lol

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ShakeItUpNowSugaree@reddit

I have the degree, but am using the other degree that actually pays the bills.

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Rhianna83@reddit

I wanted to be a geological oceanographer. Does that still count?

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naileyes@reddit

I remember feeling like OF COURSE I want to be a marine biologist but that’s such a glamorous, sought-after life how could I possibly be one of the lucky ones. lol

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Fine-Position-3128@reddit

I wish I had. Lol I’m actually an artist tho 😹

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I made it work- degree in marine biology, have done field work on coral reefs through the Caribbean, published in the field, worked with marine life for 20+ years…99% of my classmates with the same degree, however, are doing nothing related

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

How can we send you a thousand upvotes? You are a unicorn among mere peasants! Your determination and dedication is the pride and joy of the Xennials! Highest honor to meet your acquaintance!

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Sensitive-Ad-7475@reddit

I think for you truly to qualify for the 1k upvotes here, you need to mention dolphins somewhere…?! Do they feature in your marine biology life? Were they your favourite childhood animal?!

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Neobenedenia@reddit

Not at all- I was fascinated by sharks, but changed gears in undergrad and found invertebrates more fascinating- truth be told, a large proportion of marine scientists hate dolphins, they get so much attention (and funding) and are so common, meanwhile so many endangered species get almost no attention

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Sensitive-Ad-7475@reddit

… hmmm probably because so many xennials loved bloody dolphins! I remember dolphin themed kids parties, every trip to an aquarium ended with a squeaky rubber dolphin toy from gift shop - with the single use plastic bringing bonus woe to our seas. Even our fave pop star had a bloody dolphin tattoo!

I defo think you deserve the 1k upvotes for fighting the good fight. And I apologise on behalf of xennials everywhere for the dolphin madness that has served to skew funding decisions and makes it harder to protect the endangered. We knew not what we were doing!!!

Go sharks :-)

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Least-Back-2666@reddit

I girl I went thru HS with got hers and a job at the NOAA.

Within a few years she married one of the captains and stayed home to raise kids. later she wound up doing photography for the local aquarium.

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boozypanda0117@reddit

My daughter is beginning high school and is extremely interested in becoming this- can you give us some tips or advice?

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Neobenedenia@reddit

Start here, So you want to be a marine biologist by Dr Milton Love:

https://lovelab.msi.ucsb.edu/biologist.html

I always tell students they should consider majoring in general biology- so many people get exposed to new ideas as undergrads and change their minds, you can always specialize in grad school or in internships- you might find something you never considered that is your passion- and volunteer, do internships, gain experience however you can!

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boozypanda0117@reddit

Thank you so much for this!!! ❤️I have had a rough week with my father who is extremely ill, and the kindness in your reply cheered me up. Thank you!

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Calm_Net_1221@reddit

Yup, I’m a 1984 baby and was obsessed with marine bio because Jaws was my favorite movie and Shark was my Week 🙌 (also got Nat Geo subscription for my bday every year, best gift ever!). So I did my undergrad and then went on and got my PhD and still working/publishing at a research institute in the Gulf of MEXICO on nearshore and estuarine ecosystems. I really only knew one other marine bio undergrad with me (she was also in a few punk bands at the time) and we went to grad school together and now work at the same institution!

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slayingadah@reddit

And yes, it will always and forever be the fucking gulf of MEXICO jfc istg.

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Khronzo@reddit

What is this Gulf of Mexico? Google shows a Gulf of America... 🤔

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Dry-Region-9968@reddit

It's okay if you don't understand English it is now the Gulf of America (if we are going to play these games)

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Magagumo_1980@reddit

My millennial younger brother (88’) went for a BS in Marine Biology — graduated into the recession and hit the rocks hard.. he worked as a sub-contractor for NOAA for a few years but has moved on to another technical career with better pay and stability. Seems like everyone he worked with has left the industry as well.

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Perfect-Agent-2259@reddit

My older Xennial brother was a bona fide marine biologist for many years, but for the past 7 years he has been a high school biology teacher, for the better pay and stability.

He married a marine biologist, though. She travels the globe studying and giving presentations about deep sea exploration. Her organization just had to do a pretty hefty reshuffle, though, after DOGE cut a bunch of their grants.

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Magagumo_1980@reddit

I feel you on the grant cutting.. my partner just transitioned into Public Health at a major university and may lose their job because to the funding freezes..

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nanneryeeter@reddit

Ever pull a golf ball from a blowhole?

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LDSpectre@reddit

What is that, a Titleist?

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PraetorianXVIII@reddit

When I was sixteen, my coworker at McDonalds, sweet woman, regular line worker, but had been there for years, had a bachelor's degree in Marine Biology. I'll never forget it.

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Rodeoqueenyyc@reddit

Tbh, I don’t care about the real life people… I only want to know if Clown Dog Brian from Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead achieved his dream. Josh Charles 💕🐢

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HipHopGrandpa@reddit

Graduated with 100 kids. 2 of them are full time marine biologists now. In 1989 we all thought we were going to be one though. No idea why, I can’t stand being out on a boat.

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Dismal-Detective-737@reddit

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ScreenTricky4257@reddit

According to Jerry, he and Larry David wrote that scene the night before the final day of shooting and gave it to Jason Alexander with two hours before the shoot. They asked if he could handle it, and he said sure. There was no rehearsal, no reshoot, no pickup. They did the one take and used everything from it.

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Jessiphat@reddit

Does someone have a link to the scene? I don’t know what to search.

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Nightskiier79@reddit

https://youtu.be/uEvOU2HKhzw?si=9JZfzGgEP9e7SHp1

Jump to 1:45

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Jessiphat@reddit

Thank you kindly!

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Upset-Word151@reddit

The sea was angry that day

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dh098017@reddit

like an old man, sending back soup at a deli.

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FreneticZen@reddit

I got about fifty feet out and suddenly, the great beast appeared before me. I tell you, he was ten stories high if he was a foot.

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dh098017@reddit

…..from the great fish…..mammal…….whatever.

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closhedbb80@reddit

Easy, big fella!

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histprofdave@reddit

A hole in one!

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Derrick_Mur@reddit

I don’t know if it was divine intervention or the interconnectedness of all living things, but, Jerry, in that moment I was a marine biologist

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GenghisConnieChung@reddit

She told me to go to hell and I took the bus home.

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zorbacles@reddit

One did my favourite line readings of the show

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BulimicMosquitos@reddit

What is that, a Titlest?

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AbbreviationsBorn276@reddit

A hole in one, Jerry!

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shrimp-and-potatoes@reddit

I represent the paleontology crew.

And no. I don't study dinosaurs. :(

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Mooseandagoose@reddit

I wanted to be one and I blame Voyage of the Mimi.

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Bondedknight@reddit

One of the best parts of fifth grade!

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Humble_Entrance3010@reddit

We watched it in our new fiber optics lab lol

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DirtRight9309@reddit

theme song is now in my head

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twodexy82@reddit

Absolutely

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omgforeal@reddit

Thanks a lot, Ben affleck!

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FlyingT0ast3r@reddit

You can find episodes on YouTube.

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spankthepunkpink@reddit

The sea was angry that day, my friends

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CoralQuilts@reddit

Failed marine biologist here. I did work in the field for a couple of years.

I now work in IT and am still paying off my student loans nearly 20 years later.

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ShakeItUpNowSugaree@reddit

There seem to be a lot of us who went the IT route. I never worked in the field though.

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LatinBotPointTwo@reddit

My cousin, who is 4 years older than me, became a marine biologist. Does that count?

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ZipperJJ@reddit

There was a girl in my class (97) who wanted to be one, and went to college in Hawaii to get her degree and everything. But now she’s a nurse back here in Ohio so I dunno what happened with that.

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PrincessSarahHippo@reddit

The person I knew that started uni as a marine biology major is a uber driver.

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dion_o@reddit

Scuba Diver to Uber Driver

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RarelyHere1345@reddit

The Xennial Experience lol

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SnooCats7584@reddit

84 baby…I never wanted to become a marine biologist, but a geologist. A lot of my slightly older and younger friends stayed with oceanography but I switched to teaching during the 2008 recession as it’s a more stable career. My former colleagues are now being laid off at NOAA/USGS and having funding cut at universities. People like science until it’s time to fund it or the results are inconvenient.

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Stunning_Fox_7431@reddit

Not technically a marine bio, but I work in aquaculture in Alaska and work closely with a few biologists of a similar age.

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Organic-lemon-cake@reddit

So I did want to be a marine biologist of course but ended up not liking science in college. But I lived in a small building with a guy who would leave for months at a time to study plankton jungles and whatever else all over the world.

And the previous owners of our house are serious dolphins researchers. I get all of their mail still and they were not great homeowners.

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feivelgoeswest@reddit

I studied marine biology and spent 1 summer internship doing field work with dolphins. I found it really boring and changed my career trajectory.

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PhoneJazz@reddit

What inspired our Marine Biology Mania: Free Willy? Ecco the Dolphin? The New Adventures of Flipper? Or our Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers?

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Staninator@reddit

Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home. "There be whales here, captain!"

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anthrax_ripple@reddit

This was my reason. I grew up near the Monterey Bay Aquarium and was already obsessed with sea mammals. Then my mom decided she wanted to be a MB also, got halfway though and quit. My parents discouraged me from trying after that, so I didn't. I have regretted it ever since. Now I work for a soulless corporation instead of the MBA or NOAA or something remotely rewarding or interesting.

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Ginger_Snaps_Back@reddit

Jacques Cousteau. He made water exploration look both badass and highly respected.

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ShireHorseRider@reddit

How about Steve Irwin? Are you forgetting our muse????

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ShireHorseRider@reddit

Something about Mary where the dude got stung by a fish & the girl peed on him?

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kremlingrasso@reddit

Arthur C. Clarke: Dolphin Island.

Obviously growing up with father figures like Gerald Durrel and David Attenborough and Charlie Bood helped but this book sealed it for marine life.

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katiespecies647@reddit

And SeaQuest

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al_m1101@reddit

Ikr, this is so funny to me. Like maybe we all had the same Xennial class. I so remember jr high when we had to go around saying what we all wanted to be, and half the friggin class (70% of the gurls) said 'marine biologist' and it perplexed me even then. It was most definitely Free Willy and Lisa Frank. And Sea World, possibly Red Lobster too. 😆

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Cerebral-Knievel-1@reddit

Jaws 3

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detourne@reddit

I think it was because paleontology was a dead end, there was life in marine biology

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BlueGiant601@reddit

The Voyage of the Mimi, just saying.

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Human-Put-6613@reddit

All of the above.

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NostalgicTX@reddit

lol..man. This is what I wanted to be so bad. I did not

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TrustAffectionate966@reddit

I did not major in it. I just went for chemistry, but I work with a few people who majored in marine biology. They went on to specialize in microbiology.

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unbalancedcentrifuge@reddit

I became a microbiologist...and did some time testing water in hottubs. That's marine and biology! Livin' the dream!!!!!

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Ski_Area51@reddit

Good friend of mine enrolled at Univ of Hawaii to major in marine biology. He mostly partied and smoked weed. His grades were passable first semester and atrocious second semester, but teachers went on strike just before finals so the lucky bastard got all A’s. Came back to the mainland for the summer, changed major to business, finished his degree at a local school and now he sells industrial adhesives.

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Mundane_Elevator1561@reddit

I’m a professional biologist

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fpaulmusic@reddit

Although I didn’t go into marine biology, I’m an importer and exporter. My name is Art Vandelay

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assumetehposition@reddit

Not me but I did cry the first time I saw a killer whale show. Did not know that was down there.

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unlovelyladybartleby@reddit

My kid's science teacher is my age and was a marine biologist. He transitioned over to teaching when he moved back to our landlocked city, but keeps fish in his classroom, organizes a marine biology field trip, and taught the kids an extra unit about ocean ecology.

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Equivalent-Mousse-93@reddit

My friend from growing up in Ohio is one! He does a lot of animal rescues.

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industrock@reddit

I wanted to be a marine biologist in the 90s. Was there something cultural at the time pushing us there?

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Cunning-Linguist2@reddit

Veterinarian was right up there with marine biologist. Every cute girl (and not so cute) wanted to be a vet or take care of horses. I would always think "why would you want a job that involves picking up actual horse shit?"

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Asleep_Onion@reddit

I recently dated a girl who was a marine biologist, and most of her friends were also marine biologists, so there were a few occasions where we'd be at a gathering and there we like 8 marine biologists all around me. My boomer stepdad also was a marine biologist.

Every one of them worked for various government agencies, and were criminally underpaid. Like $40k-$60k per year, which is insane considering they all had a master's degree or higher and years of experience. But there's not much of a market of marine biologists in private industry so they all had to take the government gigs if they wanted to work in that field.

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ghunt81@reddit

My cousin did it (although he's gen x, not xennial), he sells stereo equipment in California. Never did anything remotely related to the degree

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spanishpeanut@reddit

I know someone who did! She’s a Xennial and an aquarist at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta! She specializes in sharks and even helped open the Toronto Aquarium. I babysat for a kiddo who grew up to be a marine biologist, but she’s a millennial (1995).

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No-Artichoke-6939@reddit

No, but I love it when someone I knew in high school brings it up that’s what I wanted to do 😒

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triplejdude@reddit

Not me but I vote for a Voyage of The Mimi redo.

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ShelleyMonique@reddit

You have no right to make me laugh this hard this early in the morning! Damn you!

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jambr380@reddit

I worked on whale watching and fishing boats after high school and then got my 100 ton Masters license allowing me to drive those boats for paying passengers. Since it was seasonal, I only lasted a couple of years doing that, but I worked with a number of marine biologists and interns through the years.

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ticklewhales@reddit

Me! It wasn't a linear path but I've now accumulated 21 years as a field biologist with the last 13 in marine biology 🐡🐟🦦 and I loooooooooove it.

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Inspi@reddit

Not me, but a classmate of mine made it happen, worked for NOAA for about a decade before becoming a highschool biology teacher

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MichaelsFormanGrill@reddit

I wanted to be one and ended up as an accountant. My daughter is currently going to school for marine biology though.

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stratusmonkey@reddit

Not me, but the sister of one of my friends. In high school we were like, "C'mon! Everybody says that, but nobody really does it!" Ten years later (so, 20 years ago), she's not living in a Lisa Frank dolphin poster. But she is studying invertibrate populations in the Everglades!

I was astounded, and happy for her, and a little embarrassed.

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tgold77@reddit

A lot of the people I know have a similar story of “realizing the futility of healing the planet” or something along those lines.

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twim19@reddit

I didn't realize this was a thing until now. Would explainwhy my dad was so hard on the "You totally want to be a marine biologist" train when I was a kid.

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ChrisPrattFalls@reddit

Joined the Marines and became a biologist.....accomplished /s

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valhallaswyrdo@reddit

My town actually has a prominent marine biology school, I always wanted to be an inventor and I became an engineer but there are tons of marine biologist students out at the bars and downtown every week.

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probablyatargaryen@reddit

I wrote a book (like, 7 whole pages!) in 5th grade about how I was going to become one. Where I’d go to college, how I’d start my career in Monterey Bay, California (from WI). Then I’d move to Maine before retiring, so I’d work in both oceans, of course.

I’m a teacher in Wisconsin.

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toadjones79@reddit

Sorry we can't get you more pay and benefits. I am with the half that really wants to. Stuid Scot Walk*er.

(I've had issues with automod picking up on key words and confusing them with rule violations).

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ferminriii@reddit

I also grew up in Wisconsin. I was also going to move out to Monterey to start my career in marine biology. I guess my plan was the same as everyone else's. I remember somebody warned me that I was going to show up with a thousand other people looking for a job cleaning up after the penguins. Lol

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

You can go to Thee Apostle Islands and look at the Sturgeon?

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Melancolin@reddit

Anyone can go to the Great Lakes Aquarium and pet sturgeon in their giant icy cold touch tank. They have like 4 varieties of sturgeon and it’s as close to petting a dinosaur as I’ll ever get.

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bwnsjajd@reddit

Damn that's cool though! I hope you inspire kids to be as passionate and ambitious as you were!

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Southern_Sea_8290@reddit

I had the same plan. I ended up as a teacher as well 😂 but I’ve also done a lot of other jobs I wouldn’t have predicted, too.

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illini02@reddit

I was kinda close.

I have a biology degree. I worked at an aquarium. But wasn't a marine biologist. I kind of did talks at the aquarium, not research

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Illustrious-Lead-960@reddit

I’d rather be a marine veterinarian. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=URQ2g4T8Jd8&pp=ygUVZGFuZ2VyIGJheSB0aGVtZSBzb25n0gcJCYQJAYcqIYzv

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latebloomer2015@reddit

That was my plan until my family took a trip to the beach when I was 12. We went deep sea fishing and I was puking before we left shallow sea area. That was the day I changed my life plan because sea life was not for me.

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Other-Opposite-6222@reddit

Thank you for asking the real questions. I always thought it was dumb.

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CuriousRiver2558@reddit

I grew up in Florida and no one I knew wanted to be one. Everyone I know who is one (I work in the fishing industry) is not from a coastal area. Coincidence??

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stirmixalot@reddit

I am the only person from my university cohort that ended up working as a marine biologist. No dolphins though, I’ve been fish, shellfish, and kelp focused.

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emmy_lou_harrisburg@reddit

My best friend went to UNC Wilmington to study Marine Biology. He didn't finish. He stayed in Wilmington and loves it. He takes his Jeep to the 4x4 beach on Fort Fisher regularly. He cleans commercial buildings. He's happy as a clam.

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smashy_smashy@reddit

I went to grad school for marine microbiology, specializing in Vibrio. It’s important mostly for the oyster industry because they are common human pathogens from eating oysters. But I made a career in non-marine micro afterwards.

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Cross_22@reddit

An ex of mine got her PhD in marine biology. Last I checked she worked for the government as an ecological consultant.

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Caslon@reddit

So she's probably looking for work now 😭😭.

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

So…she’s not a marine biologist

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Cross_22@reddit

Picky, picky..

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VisiblePlatform6704@reddit

Lol this is a funny thread. Both my parents (49 ,50) are marine biologists, so I had WAAAY more than enough of nature while growing up.

I became a software engineer.

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Osurdum@reddit

I really wanted to be an Egyptologist.

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LysandraTheDragon@reddit

Hard same, would have been awesome

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curious_walriss_888@reddit

Same!!

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LordTuranian@reddit

I foresee a lot of comments here from Xennials saying they became Marine Biologist by joining the Marines and then studying their cat or dog.

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CaptShrek13@reddit

And I was expecting more about studying clams and getting wet.

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TealTemptress@reddit

Crayons

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

Catdog

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TomatilloLopsided895@reddit

I have gen x friend that's one.

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Crabcakefrosti@reddit

I studied under George Costanza

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lucidguppy@reddit

One of my friends girlfriend was a MB grad student.

I saw her work. She watched a video of a fish do something for hours and had to count up the times it happened per hour.

I never wanted to study it again.

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bakedveldtland@reddit

I am a marine bio major! For about 5 years, I worked with marine mammals in an aquarium… then I switched to being a zookeeper for large African mammals.

Now I’m wrapping up my Master’s degree… I’ve been doing dolphin research and love it. Who knows what I’ll do after I graduate, though! I did love working at zoological facilities so I’d love to return to that field, perhaps as a behavioral husbandry manager.

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oflimiteduse@reddit

As a disgruntled tradesman I really wish I had pursued that marine biology degree.

I have dreams about whales.

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Cauldron_Cat@reddit

I have a degree and MSc in various marine biology subjects. After decades of struggling to get a job in the marine field, I finally landed one several years ago. However, I am more physical-based than biology-based. Still, I take it as a win.

I blame Seaquest DSV for my career choice!

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InventionExchange@reddit

I wanted to SO BAD! I was selected as one of 50 girls in the US to go on a girl scouts wider opportunity to study aquatic biology in Traverse Bay in Michigan for a week when I was 13 and was later in the process of finding a college when my mom told me that I needed to find a job that wasn't a hobby. That comment completely sucked the wind out of my sails and I had no idea what to do with my life. I never went to college, never got a degree. Bounced around miserably in admin jobs hoping something somewhere would pique my interest. Moved across the country a few times (MI > ME > MI > CA > ME) and did online courses for nonsense and put myself in $34k debt (well now 37k debt because the interest was more than my payments). I'm in a good spot now, but goddamn did it take a long time with no support.

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flycart33@reddit

I went on a few dates with a woman who had a degree in it but was really struggling to find a job in it. She was a waitress instead.

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Omnivek@reddit

This is why I decided not to be a marine biologist…

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kremlingrasso@reddit

That and living landlocked in the middle of Europe.

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Psychological-Dirt69@reddit

This made me laugh out loud...I sure wanted to be a marine biologist, at least when I was in high school! I didn't know wanting to do this was a thing for us GenXers.

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MadameLeota604@reddit

My friend certainly did! She studies manatees in Florida now!

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lazyMarthaStewart@reddit

This needs more upvotes! We love the sea cows!

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jackfaire@reddit

Huh is this why shows kept name dropping it?

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lurkslikeamuthafucka@reddit

My nephew graduates today as one!

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Cararacs@reddit

I’m a marine ecologist and I love it. Unfortunately, it Is a terrible time to be one though.

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RoanAlbatross@reddit

I love that this specific career choice was brought up. I have my 1992/1993 yearbook from elementary school and every other kid in 4th grade wanted to be a marine biologist.

I chose being a singer. I can definitely say it didn’t work out for me but I’m a professional in the car

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OkBiscotti1140@reddit

I too had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. I do work in the sciences, just not marine. Now my kid has dreams of becoming one and traveling to the deep sea to discover new species. Hopefully they haven’t mined the deep sea and destroyed life down there by the time she’s an adult.

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BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit

No, but I did take one semester of marine biology.

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thaddeusharris@reddit

lol, I had no idea it was that common in our cohort. I didn’t go on to become one but it’s still a special interest!

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harlembornnbred@reddit

Never knew anyone that wanted to be one but this thread reminded me that I saw Voyage of the Mimi in elementary school. Thanks for that memory unlocking

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ODB247@reddit

I kind of know a Gen X marine biologist. She went to school for it and became a stay at home mom who picked ip odd jobs. There wasn’t really a market for that degree in the suburban midwest.

For real though, how did we all decide that was the job to have?

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Uhh_JustADude@reddit

Same reason that a few years earlier, we wanted to be astronauts too: it looks very cool!

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mstermind@reddit

I don't think I ever wanted to become a marine biologist. But I wanted to become an author, a teacher, and an astronaut. I managed the first two but not the third.

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londongas@reddit

I have worked with quite a few marine biologists ... Is it so rare?

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BalrogRuthenburg11@reddit

I wanted to be one. Took a cetacean zoology class and did a field study on orcas. Life had other plans though and now I’m a Product Manager for a grill company.

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ZarquonsFlatTire@reddit

I knew one guy who made it. He was basically the ridiculously photogenic guy meme. Last I saw he was engaged to a girl who had left a modeling career to go to med school.

Honestly if they weren't really cool people to chill and smoke a bowl with I would have hated both on principle. But they were just two insanely attractive, nice people trying to good the world.

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Octowuss1@reddit

When I was in school, there was a chick with a similar name as me, and the teachers would mix me up with that super smart gal. She became a marine meteorologist, and I’m jelly as helly.

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John_TheBlackestBurn@reddit

I actually know a marine biologist, and it wasn’t her dream job. She kinda stumbled into it, just because she was the most qualified person who was already in the area. (Small town on the Oregon coast where nobody wants to live.)

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catofdisneyland@reddit

Haha! I love this! I so wanted to be a marine biologist that worked at Marine World Africa USA in Vallejo, CA. Didn’t end up happening. 😂 Congrats to everyone that did!!

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thrucellardoor@reddit

So I wanted to be either a marine biologist or an archaeologist….i untimely chose a degree in archaeology and have been working in that field for almost 20 years now :D

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Gon_777@reddit

I knew a girl who in 5th grade swore to me she would become a marine biologist. I didn't even know what that was at the time so I just made fun of her.

We went to the same highschool so I know she didn't become a biologist, she joined her parents paintball business and did low level crime as a side hussle.

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Phyddlestyx@reddit

I made it although it wasn't my goal as a kid lol

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CheezeLoueez08@reddit

Haha my old friend wanted to be. It was in her grade 6 graduation blurb next to her pic in the yearbook. She’s a psychologist. In high school everyone wanted to be HR.

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omegadefern@reddit

I started as a Marine bio major but ended up switching to counseling. Chem killed me.

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Humphalumpy@reddit

Several of my graduate school professors of psychology did marine biology first. A lot of dolphin trainers become psychologists.

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emozolik@reddit

Someone I went to grade school and high school with (class of 1998). I’m almost positive she was a marine biology major and I know she’s been working for the NOAA since 2004. Loves what she does by the look of it and I hope she survives any potential cuts

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wintercast@reddit

why was it such a popular choice? i think i just wanted to be a dolphin.

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monkeyfightnow@reddit

I know someone who actually did it BS/Masters and is a tribal ecologist. Another guy I work with in construction did the degree and made it two years surveying fish and couldnt get another contract so ended up working as a construction manager.

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Aint-no-preacher@reddit

I recently found of that an uncle by marriage majored in Marine Biology at Humboldt State. He did time in prison for smuggling drugs and now works construction.

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Roland-Of-Eld-19@reddit

I tell ya he was 10 storeys high if he was a foot!

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AggressiveCommand739@reddit

Not me but a HS classmate did for a few years. Hes doing something else now about 20 years later.

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SweetCosmicPope@reddit

I friend of mine from high school did and she works with sea turtles and in conservation.

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SparxIzLyfe@reddit

I'm technically an Xer, but I vibe more with Xennial stuff most of the time. This is one of the very few times I'm more of an Xer. We were supposed to become computer programmers or some kind of fancy engineers. I'm pretty sure most of us didn't end up doing that, either.

Just 5 or 6 years later, the marine biology thing started to trend. Y'all had your dolphin and killer whale movies. We had Real Genius.

How come our schools didn't give us career ideas, and we got them from films instead?

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ContactHonest2406@reddit

A friend of mine isn’t a marine biologist, but he is a marine veterinarian living in Miami.

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Gonna_do_this_again@reddit

https://i.redd.it/cnoz06ljw3xe1.gif

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hamsterballzz@reddit

Not me but I have a childhood friend who legitimately did become a marine biologist. They were always super smart.

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sassooal@reddit

I know a surprising large number of animal biologists, but not any marine biologists.

My brother had a friend whose specialist subject was bats. He k ew everything about them. He grew up to be an Ivy League professor studying bats.

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Upset-Word151@reddit

Not I, but I know an Xennial marine biologist! I live in Alaska though, so my odds of knowing some are probably better than most

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

A real bonafide marine biologist walks among us?

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Upset-Word151@reddit

Might be a unicorn!

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ApatheistHeretic@reddit

In the sea, they're narwhals.

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TheGirlwThePinkHair@reddit

Omg I actually know someone who came super close. The only thing she didn’t do was the internship because it didn’t pay! What did she do instead?! Junkie Stripper. 100% not joking. I’ve seen her graduation pics!

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VerbalKlimt@reddit

Take it from me, I’m a whale biologist!

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Human-Put-6613@reddit

I was acquainted with one! Last I knew he was studying sea lions in Northern CA. That’s the closest I ever got to my dream job.

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Practical-Door6917@reddit

I did a college summer internship at the NJ State Aquarium. While it was a lovely time, and they offered me a job out of college making $7.45 an hour (ha), I realized quickly that career was not gonna cut it. I did go on to do environmental work though!

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Necessary_Total6082@reddit

Three of my closest friends became Marine Biologist. We grew up in Florida though. Friend 1 is currently still in the field, he's living his best life on a very nice research ship in the New Zealand area.

Friend 2 works her best life in a large and fairly well known wild life sanctuary in Florida. Loves it, but admits it's impossible to ever get used to all the smells.

And Friend 3 decided they liked not being poor and works for Big Oil, and I assume they're living their best life though sometimes I think the stress and internal conflict has been very hard on them.

The only other person I know who tried to attain the coveted class of Marine Biologist is my cousin-in-law. Who is now an archaeologist. But is giving that up for teaching.

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roopjm81@reddit

Do my dad, brother and sister in law count?

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lasims79@reddit

😂 I’d really like to know where this originally started. I mean ONE person probably started this for an entire generation

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feldomatic@reddit

I blame The Abyss for that lofty childhood dream of mine.

I settled and became a submariner then got certified in scuba.

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Consistent-Ad-6506@reddit

I knew one but she didn’t stay in the field because there weren’t many jobs.

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hennsippin@reddit

I didn’t like I wanted to but my niece did and is currently living her best life. Broke, but enjoying the shit out of it. Sucks that money plays so much of a part with dreams

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lsp2005@reddit

You watched voyage of the mini also?

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pinelands1901@reddit

I worked retail at an aquarium, so there were quite a few marine biologists there obviously. About a half still work in marine science. The rest got their nursing degree.

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popsington@reddit

I did!

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ozcheesehead@reddit

This actually made me laugh!

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AggrievedOwl@reddit

Born in 1985. My parents really thought I'd become a doctor. It went downhill from there. One divorce later, from a very nice man, I'm remarried and fine. My undergrad was in biology, my masters has to do with money, but I'll stop the world to watch the Cooper's Hawk that likes my patio.

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Myrtle_Snow_@reddit

Not me but I do know one who is a xennial.

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

I don’t know if you can provide any evidence. I think the profession is a myth made to get our generation to study science

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Myrtle_Snow_@reddit

I don’t want to out my friend on Reddit but yes she is a professor of marine biology with a PhD and she was born in 1980. Posts pictures of her dives on social media all the time.

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LazerIceDude@reddit (OP)

Bingo! I’m so glad to hear one exists but it’s still second hand information

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malibuklw@reddit

I ended up as a lawyer. But my 11 year is keeping the dream alive and wants to be a deep sea biologist. (The one in the control room, not the one in the vessel)

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ryhoyarbie@reddit

Not the answer you’re looking for but…..I taught a junior this year and she wants to be a marine biologist.

I believe she’s number 4 in her class. She even said that if she gets below an A in a class, her mom gets on to her.

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NotRadTrad05@reddit

I took a 400 level marine biology class because I needed an extra 400 science and nobody in that class was a marine biology major.

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FeatherDust11@reddit

LMAO - excellent question.