Marine Biology

Carroll University’s innovative marine sciences program is offered in collaboration with Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). You’ll begin at Carroll, spending two years learning fundamental principles in biology, chemistry and math, as well as completing general education requirements. You’ll transfer to Hawaii Pacific University and finish your degree requirements in marine biology on its Hawaii Loa Campus on the island of Oahu. 

What is marine biology?

Marine biology is the study of life in the oceans—from microscopic plankton to the largest animals on earth, the blue whales. It offers many areas of interest such as the study of molecules within cells (molecular biology), the functions and adaptations of organisms (physiology) and populations of organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment (ecology). What unites these areas as marine biology is the saltwater environment, whether it be the coastal wetlands and estuaries, rocky shorelines and beaches, coral reefs and kelp forests, or the vast open-ocean habitat and abyssal sea. Marine biology draws on other sciences such as chemistry, physics, geology and oceanography, and includes disciplines such as marine microbiology, phycology (the study of algae), marine toxicology, fisheries and aquaculture, deep-sea ecology, invertebrate zoology, ichthyology (the study of fish), marine mammalogy and marine conservation biology

What can you do with a degree in marine biology?

A Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology provides a strong academic foundation for a variety of careers. You’ll be prepared for careers in marine and aquatic science such as aquarists or outreach/education specialists in aquariums and zoos, field and data technicians in research laboratories and government agencies, or a myriad of other positions in aquaculture, fisheries science, environmental analysis, marine policy and many others. Students who want to become leaders in marine biology, or ultimately direct their own research, will have the necessary background to pursue a master or doctoral degree in their chosen field.

*Information from Hawaii Pacific University website