Future Students

Marine Biology

Marine Biology is for students who are passionate about all organisms in the marine world, from microbes to animals, from invertebrates to whales, and plants such as seagrasses and seaweeds.

You will study these organisms in-depth, as well as their relationships with their environments through techniques such as SCUBA diving. You can combine your major in Marine Biology with any other major in the Bachelor of Science; for example Marine and Coastal Management; Botany; Conservation Biology; Geography or Zoology, depending on your interests. Marine Biology can also be studied in a combined degree: Science/Arts, Science/Commerce, Science/Economics, Science/Education, Science/Engineering, or Science/Law.

Level 1
You will follow a foundation package and study Core Concepts in Biology, Plant and Animal Biology. Chemistry, Physics and Maths and/or Stats to give you the broad scientific background necessary for higher-level study.

Level 2
Level 2 units include Introduction to Marine Science, Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, and Aquatic Botany or Plant Physiology. You will also study units toward a second major.

Level 3
In Level 3 you will specialise further in Marine Biology, taking the units Animal Ecology; Field Techniques in Marine Environmental Science;  Biological Oceanography;  and Physical Oceanography. You will also take units in your second major if you elect to do a double major, or else study electives such as Conservation Biology: Saving Endangered Species; Aquaculture; Marine Ecology;  Marine Geology; Marine and Coastal Planning and Management; Micriobiology, and Ecosystem Biogeochemistry.

If you are interested in finding out which subjects you will study then have a look at the Course Outline. This will show you the core units and the options for the course, along with course rules.

You will notice that each unit has a unit code, for example BIOL1130. The first number in the unit code indicates the level of the unit - in this case level one. For a more detailed description of a particular unit, click on the unit code.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this program will have a broad-based knowledge of marine and environmental systems and will be well-qualified for a wide range of jobs in areas of marine biology, environmental assessment and conservation. Employment is to be found in government departments such as Environment and Conservation, Industry and Resources, as well as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), tertiary institutions, consulting firms, the fishing industry, as planners in state and local agencies and in research at Universities. Marine biologists work in aquaculture, and for agencies such as Greenpeace and Reef Check. The expertise of marine biologists is also used in conjunction with other specialists working on marine environmental problems.