Introduction

Marine sciences is an exciting, extremely rich and diverse field of endeavour. It is of great significance to Australia, a nation with an enormous and unique coastline of 50,000 kilometres including its islands. Australians have a special affinity with the sea greater than most other countries, which is not surprising given that 83 percent of the population lives in cities or local government areas that abut the coast, and over 25 percent live within 3 kilometres of the coast. In addition the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone of 12 million square kilometres of ocean is 1.5 times the total land area, and marine-based industries are worth in excess of $16 billion annually.

On a more global scale, it is true to say that the ocean is the cradle of life. The dynamic balance of its natural forces drives the Earth's weather and climate, shapes its coastlines and feeds its people. The rapidly growing world population and drive towards industrialisation means that at no time in our history has there been a greater need for well trained marine scientists to research, monitor and report on marine processes and to manage and conserve marine resources.

This edition of Careers in Marine Science is intended to help students at secondary and tertiary level by outlining the large range of available careers and training options and the broad scope of marine science in Australia.

A feature of marine science is its multidisciplinary nature; none of the careers outlined in this book are isolated completely from other areas in the marine sciences. It is the breadth and mix of subject areas that makes the field so challenging and interesting. This broad scope is reflected both in the diversity of skills received in training and in the variety of careers and opportunities available. However, many potential students of marine science are not fully aware of the diversity of options offered. Indeed, enquiries received by universities and other institutions indicate that many hold the popularised but incorrect view that most marine scientists work with dolphins, whales or large and colourful fish, but this could not be further from the truth. One aim of this booklet is to help rectify this misconception, and readers are encouraged to consider all of the careers listed and not just those that they may already know something about. It is likely that new and exciting areas will be revealed!

The booklet considers two main types of career, namely those where basic research is the principal activity and those in more applied fields. This division conveniently reflects the major areas of employment but it is somewhat arbitrary. Many jobs involve aspects of both research and the application of knowledge to immediate problems and questions (for example, in areas of management, conservation and teaching). Also, many people have jobs where they work in several of the areas listed separately in the booklet, or they change readily from one area to another in the course of their career.

Each section has been written by experts in the area and describes briefly the nature of the work, the kind of training required, and provides examples in broad terms of potential employers. Most careers require a tertiary qualification at least to bachelor degree level (BSc), and many students go on to complete higher degrees at the masters (MSc) or doctorate (PhD) level, however there are several other options for those interested in technical careers. Toward the back of the booklet are tables that identify training institutions for each career area in each state. Another table provides lists of educational and other institutions that may be contacted for further information. Because the information in this booklet is necessarily brief, students should also consult school, college or university libraries for more detailed outlines of the nature of specific subject areas.
It needs to be noted that at the time of publication a restructuring of several federal marine science agencies is being considered by government. However, while it is possible that the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Divisions of Fisheries and Oceanography may change their names and affiliations, their physical locations and basic functions will not change. Therefore, regardless of any reorganisation, enquiries should be directed to the addresses given in the tables at the end of the booklet.

The Australian Marine Sciences Association and the School of Marine Science at the University of Queensland take pleasure in encouraging and promoting the careers of young marine scientists in Australia. This booklet is produced as part of that philosophy. There are many new and exciting courses being offered in marine science throughout Australia. It is the students of these courses who will be the future stewards of Australia's invaluable and aesthetic marine resources, and who will be steering new research into the properties and behaviours of the nation's marine ecosystems.