Biological Oceanography and Marine Biology

Biological oceanographers and marine biologists approach the study of marine organisms from different perspectives. Biological oceanographers tend to study how organisms both shape – and are shaped by – the physics, chemistry, and geology of a system while marine biologists tend to study organisms themselves, including their physiology, life history, and distribution patterns. IGPMS has an array of opportunities in both of these related – and at times overlapping – areas. Current research focuses on a wide diversity of organisms, from bacteria to phytoplankton to marine invertebrates to fish. Opportunities exist to conduct research all over the world, from polar regions to tropical seas and from coastal to open ocean ecosystems. Research questions span topics as diverse as ocean acidification, carbon cycling, larval dispersal, organismal development, parasitology, marine toxicology, marine natural products, coral reef ecology, and fisheries management. On-campus research support includes a dive locker, sample collection staff, a fleet of research boats, flowing seawater tanks, an array of microscopes (including scanning and transmission electron microscopy), and a fully-staffed analytical lab.