Some people know right away that they want to be a marine biologist. Others may shy away for one reason or another at first, and then become an influential part of the marine science community. Dr. Elaine Leung falls into the latter category--her excellence in the field seemed unlikely at first, as she is prone to seasickness! Luckily for the Women in Ocean Science community and beyond, she has pushed through the initial apprehension and now has over fifteen years of experience researching threatened marine animals--especially top predators--and worked with many global stakeholders to protect species based on her findings.

Sue Trew is an author and illustrator who grew up on the islands of Barbados. Inspired by the wildlife she grew up around, she launched her series of children’s books and plushies called Turtle Tracks Family. You can find Trew’s books in zoos, aquariums, and non-profits across where revenue goes back to support their programs. She actively works with partner organizations to write books on specific topics, such as her latest “Gecko Getwaway” sponsored by the Fauna & Flora International.

Though volunteer work is often hotly debated in many professions (should people do paid-level work for free?), as a marine scientist, I have personally found volunteer work to be super important and rewarding - throughout my degree, I volunteered for countless companies and labs and wouldn’t take any of it back. If you haven’t thought about volunteering, or are tossing up whether or not you should take a volunteering position because it doesn’t seem worth it, here are five reasons why you should say yes…

If we had a penny for every time someone asked us this question… then we would be rich enough to fund all the science needed to protect the ocean. Ok, ok, joking aside, it’s a valid question and there are so many routes and roads into this field, that it can be a daunting web to untangle. This article sets out what you need to do to get into marine biology…