Learning About Life Under Water

By PURVI RADIA
Posted on 2008-09-10
As we all know, the world is facing major global changes in its environment. These global changes affect marine ecology leading to ecological crisis in the population of aquatic species. There are various other factors that affect marine ecology like a lack of rain or an increase in the temperature of a region or even human activities, such as oil spills etc. Also the loss of one species can cause disastrous effects on the survival of others in the food chain.
Aquatic life can be saved by carrying out a scientific study of the marine-life habitat, populations, interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic (non-living physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce) and biotic factors (living things or the materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment). This is what marine ecologists do.
If ever you have an interest in studying marine ecology, “You usually need a Masters degree in ecology or a related area such as botany, zoology, microbiology or biotechnology. A PhD is generally required for research-based positions,” said Dr Ramaiah N, senior scientist, NIO.
Dr Ramaiah says, “One should have the desired interest in saving the ecology and should not be money minded.” He also said that one could assist a senior scientist as a project assistant.
Rohan Fernandes, a student of microbiology said, “Candidates with strong mathematical and statistical skills besides the knowledge of science subjects are likely to have an advantage when job hunting. This is because a major part of the ecologists’ work is using numbers such as counting the number of species, working out the distribution of populations and comparing them.”
Marine ecology is a subset of the study of marine biology and includes observations at the biochemical, cellular, individual, and community levels as well as the study of marine ecosystems and the biosphere. But there is a difference in marine biology and marine ecology. A marine biologist may focus on behavioural relationships between the organisms in one particular species while someone studying ecology would study how the behaviour of one organism influences another. An ecologist would also look at abiotic factors and how they influence that organism.
The study of marine ecology also includes the influence of geology, geography, meteorology, pedology, chemistry and physics on marine environments. The impact of human activity such as medical research, development, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry is also studied under marine ecology. In some ways, marine ecology is more complex than the relatively straightforward study of a particular organism or environment because of the numerous interconnections, symbiotic relationships and influence of many factors on a particular environment.
Ecologists are increasingly working in teams. “Most of the ecologists channelise themselves into government bodies like the NIO or any other research organisation. India not being a lucrative country, they can diversify themselves in Australia as a marine biologist or as an underwater tourist guide. One can also be a tourist guide at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or the Laksyadweep islands,” said Dr Ramaiah.
Jobs for ecologists could grow steadily due to increased government funding for research. This includes more funding for environmental research, targeted funding for marine ecologists to study the biodiversity of the Antarctic and its role in climate change and global environmental systems.
In addition, the Resource Management Act now requires local authorities to employ ecologists to monitor and protect biological diversity. Factories also have to hire the services of marine/aquatic ecologists from research organisations to carry out regular monitoring.
Competition for academic jobs at universities and polytechnics is strongest, due to the limited number of vacancies. Over two-thirds of ecologists work for government agencies.