What do you think?
Rate this book
Masters at Work
Becoming a Marine Biologist
A fascinating guide to a career in marine biology written by bestselling journalist Virginia Morell and based on the real-life experiences of an expert in the field—essential reading for someone considering a path to this profession.
For the last two decades, Dr. Robin Baird has spent two months out of each year aboard a twenty-four-foot Zodiac boat in the waters off the big island of Hawai'i, researching the twenty-five species of whales and dolphins that live in the Pacific Ocean. His life may seem an impossible dream—but his career path from being the first person in his family to graduate college to becoming the leading expert on some of Hawai'i's marine mammals was full of twists and turns.
Join Baird aboard his Zodiac for a candid look at the realities of life as a research scientist, from the ever-present struggles to secure grants and publish new data, to the joys of helping to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. You’ll also learn pro tips, like the unexpected upsides to not majoring in marine biology and the usefulness of hobbies like sailing, birdwatching, photography, and archery. (You’ll need good aim to tag animals with the tiny recording devices that track their movements.)
Becoming a Marine Biologist is an essential guide for anyone looking to turn a passion for the natural world into a career. This is the most valuable informational interview you’ll have—required reading for anyone considering this challenging yet rewarding path.
For the last two decades, Dr. Robin Baird has spent two months out of each year aboard a twenty-four-foot Zodiac boat in the waters off the big island of Hawai'i, researching the twenty-five species of whales and dolphins that live in the Pacific Ocean. His life may seem an impossible dream—but his career path from being the first person in his family to graduate college to becoming the leading expert on some of Hawai'i's marine mammals was full of twists and turns.
Join Baird aboard his Zodiac for a candid look at the realities of life as a research scientist, from the ever-present struggles to secure grants and publish new data, to the joys of helping to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. You’ll also learn pro tips, like the unexpected upsides to not majoring in marine biology and the usefulness of hobbies like sailing, birdwatching, photography, and archery. (You’ll need good aim to tag animals with the tiny recording devices that track their movements.)
Becoming a Marine Biologist is an essential guide for anyone looking to turn a passion for the natural world into a career. This is the most valuable informational interview you’ll have—required reading for anyone considering this challenging yet rewarding path.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2019
30 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Morell
16 books56 followersVirginia Morell is an acclaimed science journalist and author. A contributing correspondent for Science, she has covered evolutionary and conservation biology since 1990. A passionate lover of the natural world and a creative thinker, her reporting keeps her in close communications with leading scientists in her fields of interest. Morell is also a regular contributor to National Geographic and Conde Nast Traveler. In 2004, her National Geographic article on climate change was a finalist for Best Environmental Article from the Society of Environmental Journalists.
In addition to her journalistic work, Morell is the author of three celebrated books. The New York Times awarded a Notable Book of the Year to Ancestral Passions, her dramatic biography of the famed Leakey family and their notable findings. Blue Nile, about her journey down the Blue Nile to Sudan, was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Travel Book. And The Washington Post listed Wildlife Wars, which she co-authored with Richard Leakey, as one of their Best Books of the Year.
An accomplished public speaker, Morell spent March 2009 as a principal lecturer for National Geographic Society’s Expeditions Program on one of its exclusive, round-the-world trips. She lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband, writer Michael McRae, a Calico cat, Nini, and a smart, six-year-old American Working Farm Collie, Buckaroo.
Read “Animal Minds”, Virginia Morell’s National Geographic cover story that explores animal intelligence, the subject of her upcoming book from Crown, Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures, which will be published in February 2013. Elizabeth Kolbert selected this article for the Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009 (Houghton Mifflin).
Published work
Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures (Crown, February 2013); Wildlife Wars, My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures (St. Martin’s Press, September 2001); Blue Nile: Ethiopia's River of Magic and Mystery (National Geographic Books, June 2001); Ancestral Passions, The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings (Simon and Schuster, August 1996)
In addition to her journalistic work, Morell is the author of three celebrated books. The New York Times awarded a Notable Book of the Year to Ancestral Passions, her dramatic biography of the famed Leakey family and their notable findings. Blue Nile, about her journey down the Blue Nile to Sudan, was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Travel Book. And The Washington Post listed Wildlife Wars, which she co-authored with Richard Leakey, as one of their Best Books of the Year.
An accomplished public speaker, Morell spent March 2009 as a principal lecturer for National Geographic Society’s Expeditions Program on one of its exclusive, round-the-world trips. She lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband, writer Michael McRae, a Calico cat, Nini, and a smart, six-year-old American Working Farm Collie, Buckaroo.
Read “Animal Minds”, Virginia Morell’s National Geographic cover story that explores animal intelligence, the subject of her upcoming book from Crown, Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures, which will be published in February 2013. Elizabeth Kolbert selected this article for the Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009 (Houghton Mifflin).
Published work
Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures (Crown, February 2013); Wildlife Wars, My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures (St. Martin’s Press, September 2001); Blue Nile: Ethiopia's River of Magic and Mystery (National Geographic Books, June 2001); Ancestral Passions, The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings (Simon and Schuster, August 1996)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 29, 2019
This book was not what I was expecting but still delightful! A great overview of the history of marine biology interwoven with the story of the career of a prominent marine biologist and the twists and turns that defined his career. I expected a "How To" guide, filled with stuffy advice from entrenched academics. Instead, I feel I learned about what it takes to make a successful marine biologist from real life examples. I would highly recommend this book not just to anyone considering a career in marine biology, but to anyone who loves animals. It's a quick, easy read that remained informative and entertaining throughout!
10/10, will try to force this book on my friends!
10/10, will try to force this book on my friends!
January 15, 2024
This is such a wonderful tale of the realities of life as a marine biologist, following in particular the career of cetacean expert Dr. Robin Baird. Marine biology, the book shares, started as a field of adventure and discovery but quickly matured and transformed by necessity to a field of conservation and protection. Seafood fishstocks are supposed to collapse by 2050, and wild tuna and sardines will be wiped out by 50% by the same time (page 60). Similarly, commercial whaling in the 20th century resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fin whales, blue whales, minke whales, right whales and humpbacks in the pursuit of blubber and oil.
Good news can still be forthcoming as the public becomes more informed and exposed to the social lives of marine animals, with whale populations resurging thanks to the exposures of organizations such as National Geographic society, Audubon, scientists and environmentalists like Greenpeace, and yes even the early exposures of capture in Marine Land and Vancouver Aquarium which invoked the individuality of these creatures in the public consciousness and into public affection. Dr. Robin Baird is a leading whale researcher, he has spent his years coordinating study of orca whales, through observation of behaviors by rendezvousing and cruising with them, and running a rapid-alert network of their whereabouts with fleet captains, local residents and tour guides. He was instrumental in discovering the distinctions between resident orca pods and transient orca pods. Resident pods can have groups of 30, have a matriarch, feed solely on fresh harvests of salmon runs and fish, have wide variety of clicks and whistles and tunes, are permanently stationed, and are usually friendly and curious about humans. Transient pods have smaller vocabulary of clicks, are quieter, they are hunters that feed on elephant seals and porpoises, and usually travel in small foraging groups of 3 while being unsocial to humans. Dr. Baird speculates that the 2 groups may be en route to diverging as species.
A marine biologist's life seems exciting, but Dr. Baird is also candid about its setbacks. For a long time he had itinerant employment, with jobs that only last months, and he even maxed out his credit cards to support himself after his PhD. With more stable faculty positions, there is a lot of administrative tasks and grunt-work grant work. He overcomes this by a single-minded devotion to behavioral ecology that can only be called a calling to science.
This is such a wonderful read, I highly recommend it.
Good news can still be forthcoming as the public becomes more informed and exposed to the social lives of marine animals, with whale populations resurging thanks to the exposures of organizations such as National Geographic society, Audubon, scientists and environmentalists like Greenpeace, and yes even the early exposures of capture in Marine Land and Vancouver Aquarium which invoked the individuality of these creatures in the public consciousness and into public affection. Dr. Robin Baird is a leading whale researcher, he has spent his years coordinating study of orca whales, through observation of behaviors by rendezvousing and cruising with them, and running a rapid-alert network of their whereabouts with fleet captains, local residents and tour guides. He was instrumental in discovering the distinctions between resident orca pods and transient orca pods. Resident pods can have groups of 30, have a matriarch, feed solely on fresh harvests of salmon runs and fish, have wide variety of clicks and whistles and tunes, are permanently stationed, and are usually friendly and curious about humans. Transient pods have smaller vocabulary of clicks, are quieter, they are hunters that feed on elephant seals and porpoises, and usually travel in small foraging groups of 3 while being unsocial to humans. Dr. Baird speculates that the 2 groups may be en route to diverging as species.
A marine biologist's life seems exciting, but Dr. Baird is also candid about its setbacks. For a long time he had itinerant employment, with jobs that only last months, and he even maxed out his credit cards to support himself after his PhD. With more stable faculty positions, there is a lot of administrative tasks and grunt-work grant work. He overcomes this by a single-minded devotion to behavioral ecology that can only be called a calling to science.
This is such a wonderful read, I highly recommend it.
February 12, 2020
Rather a whimsical tale about one man's foray into marine bio. Not exactly what I expected - the focus of the book is largely on a Dr. Robin Baird, his life and his journey into marine science. There are some valuable lessons and wisdoms to learn from his journey, but I expected the book to cast a wider net, so to speak.
The book is written from the perspective of the author, Virginia Morrell, who served as a research assistant on some of Dr. Baird's expeditions. Her penmanship has a certain cadence that poetically conveys feelings, perspectives and anecdotes in a hopeful and honest manner.
Look to this book if you want an intelligent and pensive account into the life of a marine scientist. This account, I imagine, is hardly typical - Dr. Baird's story has many bumps in the road, but in such a volatile field perhaps this atypicality is the norm. You may find yourself inspired, concerned, or even just grateful for some fresh perspectives on venturing into the field of marine biology.
The book is written from the perspective of the author, Virginia Morrell, who served as a research assistant on some of Dr. Baird's expeditions. Her penmanship has a certain cadence that poetically conveys feelings, perspectives and anecdotes in a hopeful and honest manner.
Look to this book if you want an intelligent and pensive account into the life of a marine scientist. This account, I imagine, is hardly typical - Dr. Baird's story has many bumps in the road, but in such a volatile field perhaps this atypicality is the norm. You may find yourself inspired, concerned, or even just grateful for some fresh perspectives on venturing into the field of marine biology.
December 1, 2020
I rated this book 5 stars because I liked the book and It was a good book to read. If you want to be a Marine Biologist or just like reading about someones story than I recommend this book for you. This book is about a story of how a man becomes a marine biologist and his story. I wouldn’t change anything about this book. I loved reading this book because it helped me understand with its like to become a marine biologist and what they do. I think they should make another book about how to become a marine biologist and do another person's story.
October 9, 2021
I read this after already graduating from college, desperate for where I should take my next step. While I would initially target this toward middle or high school students, it did inspire me to start looking for ways to volunteer in areas I am interested in and work them around my time as a naturalist. Highly recommended read for anyone in the field that needs even a little guidance.
July 23, 2019
One person's journey into the career of marine biology
November 25, 2019
Just such a good book. Pretty well written, just dry in a few technical relays, but overall I am really glad I pushed through it; I learned so much.
March 10, 2021
Well written, informative, and interesting. Great primer on a few angles of what it's like to be a Marine Biologist.
April 30, 2024
Interesting, but would have loved to hear about some scientists who work on more obscure species as opposed to just whales and dolphins.
August 28, 2024
Listened to this with my boyfriend on the plane back from Oregon. For fans of Ologies (sadly, without the zany host, but still fascinating).
July 24, 2025
More of a "marine biologists doing cool stuff" mixed with some interesting history than an advice piece. Still a good read.
January 23, 2023
if i’m being honest, this was not what i was expecting at all. only focused on one field of marine bio, had some valuable lessons, but i thought it would be more comprehensive
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews