So You Want to Be a Marine Biologist

Send us Fan Mail Taylor Cunningham is a trained marine biologist and shark diver. Growing up ten minutes from Sea World shaped what she wanted to do in life– and that was to train Shamu. In this episode, we dive into the controversy around aquariums and animals in captivity, the importance of keeping an open mind, how to actually make money as an underwater photographer, what it’s like to go on a...

Send us Fan Mail Shane Gero is a marine biologist who studies whales. Growing up in Canada, Nature captivated him at an early age, and a childhood love for orcas grew into a career studying their cousins, the sperm whale. In this episode, Shane shares his path to working with the whales in Dominica, how scientists are using groundbreaking AI techniques to decode whale speech, and why this research...

Send us Fan Mail Our world is in a state of change, and my guest today is asking the questions: What comes next? How do we adapt? And who is finding the solutions? Alan Weisman is an award-winning journalist whose reports have appeared in national outlets including The Atlantic Monthly and NPR, among others.  His new book, "Hope Dies Last", seeks to answer the above questions. Alan has r...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt like you're juggling flaming glassware while riding a unicycle on a trampoline? Same. In this deeply honest episode, we dive into what balance really looks like—and spoiler alert: it’s not a neat, tidy equation. From overworked weeks and triangle theory to biology’s take on homeostasis, we explore the messy, dynamic dance of work, life, health, and everything in bet...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Meisel is a scientist committed to protecting wild places and educating curious people. As a biologist, he has worked for 25 years with the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation, where he gets to study plants such as orchids, the ocean, and share the fascination through study abroad programs. Growing up in the American Midwest, Joe was a long way from the sea. Through fol...

Send us Fan Mail It’s funny how we can start off in life thinking that we’re going to do one thing, and end up pivoting to something totally different. Today’s guest is Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades. In this episode we dive into a myriad of topics from career shifts to what one spark of activism can mean for a community. Eve shares the legacy of Marjory Stoneman Doug...

Send us Fan Mail Captain Mermaid Professor Holly is how Holly Buresh’s niece very aptly describes what her aunt does. A graduate of Eckerd College, Wilderness 1st Responder, 200T Captains license holder, and marine science teacher, Holly certainly has charted her own path in life. Her journey takes us from the American midwest down to Florida over to the Bahamas, and out on the high seas where the...

Send us Fan Mail Join Kara as she shares some similarities between our lives and the live of the magnificent sea turtle. Support the show 🌊 Get the *FREE* guide: HOW TO BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST WITHOUT THE DEGREE 🧭 Dive into your own, unique path with The Ocean Blueprint  💕 Found value in the show? Leave a tip 🤿 Purchase ✨ SCUBA FOR BEGINNERS ✨ DIRECT DOWNLOAD REGISTER FOR  THE *FREE* COURSE:...

Send us Fan Mail Stephen Kavanaugh joins us on the show today. After graduating college, he followed his dream of becoming a field biologist, trekking through the wild Alaskan frontier. When it was time to return home to Ireland, Stephen looked around and saw the lack of a job market for a marine biologist, and decided to create his own– with oysters. The oyster has thousands of years of history,...

Send us Fan Mail Farmer, fisherman, and founder of Smoke in Chimneys, Ty Walker joins us on the show today. After living in LA and following his calling as a DJ, Ty returned to his farming roots in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It’s there that he charted a new path for himself and his young family– in aquaculture. On the show today, Ty shares how he navigated these big life changes, even when...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Steve Moreau, is a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner with Caribbean roots. Like so many of us, Steve wanted to be a marine biologist in childhood, but personal health challenges in high school led him to pursue a career in wellness. On the show today, Steve shares his story from eating the Standard American Diet to vegetarianism to veganism and finally eating according...

Send us Fan Mail WELCOME BACK! Host Kara Muzia is on the show today verifying the nearly two year hiatus from recordings, and sharing what’s next for the SYWTBAMB podcast.  Support the show 🌊 Get the *FREE* guide: HOW TO BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST WITHOUT THE DEGREE 🧭 Dive into your own, unique path with The Ocean Blueprint  💕 Found value in the show? Leave a tip 🤿 Purchase ✨ SCUBA FOR BEGINNERS...

Send us Fan Mail Hunter, trapper, and fisherman Cody McLaughlin joins us on the show today. Cody is a season podcast producer and outdoor writer featured in several national publications including National Wild Turkey Federation’s Turkey Call Magazine and the Sportfishing Magazine. He also is a political strategist and serves on the board of the Alaska Outdoor Council, the Last Frontier State’s NR...

Send us Fan Mail So, so much has been covered in 100 episodes. Here we recap some of the most important topics covered. Full transcript: marinebio.life/100 Support the show 🌊 Get the *FREE* guide: HOW TO BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST WITHOUT THE DEGREE 🧭 Dive into your own, unique path with The Ocean Blueprint  💕 Found value in the show? Leave a tip 🤿 Purchase ✨ SCUBA FOR BEGINNERS ✨ DIRECT DOWNLOAD...

Send us Fan Mail Melissa Cristina Márquez is a marine science education expert, TEDx speaker, author, and podcast host currently finishing her doctoral degree. She has been featured in NPR, Allure, InStyle, GQ, Seeker, Popular Science, and appeared on Disney+, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Acciona, and Good Morning America. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico, Melissa has worke...

Send us Fan Mail Emily Velasquez is a student who currently lives in Mozambique. Though a newcomer to the country, she’s followed her curiosity to help answer some of the most pressing questions that this region- and the world- faces. From mangrove reforestation to using red algae in cattle feed to reduce methane emissions, Emily’s projects and goals are wide ranging with positive, long-lasting im...

Send us Fan Mail Andrea Richey is the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation. After decades as a corporate lawyer, Andrea realized that she wanted to give back more in life, and found her passion in saving sharks in the very epicenter of the shark fin trade. Through her work, Andrea has educated thousands of students, created lasting change in her community, and, through her TED talk...

Send us Fan Mail William Trubridge is the world’s deepest man, with an unassisted freediving record to 102m or 334 feet. He holds eighteen freediving records and six world champion titles, and is able to hold his breath for over seven minutes. He has spent an extraordinary amount time in and around the ocean in his lifetime, completing nearly unfathomable underwater challenges. William offers a fa...

Send us Fan Mail Divya Karnad is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Ashoka University in India. The focus of her work is marine conservation and fisheries management. She won the global Future for Nature Award in recognition for her work with InSeason Fish, a sustainable seafood initiative that she founded.  Divya is published in scientific journals like Ambio, Biological Conservat...

Send us Fan Mail Brooke Lynn Elzweig is an engineer and a marine biologist. Growing up, marine science took center stage with school projects focused on the ocean and marine science sleep away camps. When it came time for higher education, Brooke chose to pursue engineering in a land-locked state. The siren song of the sea is a powerful one, and after graduation, Brooke found herself once more bac...

Send us Fan Mail Erich Hoyt has spent much of his life on or beside the ocean, working with whales and dolphins. He is a noted conservationist, scientist, and an award-winning author, he actually wrote the first ever book on Orcas, or Killer Whales. A former Vannevar Bush Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Erich is currently a research fellow at Whale and Dolphin Conservation, co...

Send us Fan Mail Maddy McAllister is the Senior Curator for Maritime Archaeology at James Cook University and the Museum of Tropical Queensland. In her words, Maddy is a maritime archeologist and shipwreck detective.  In today’s episode we chat about the ghost story that inspired Maddy’s career, how technology has helped shape the archeology field, how to identify a shipwreck, and why telling thes...

Send us Fan Mail Stephan Abel is the the President and CEO of Ferry Cove Shellfish, an oyster hatchery located along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Starting off his career, Stephan didn’t even consider going into natural sciences or natural resources at all. In fact, he was military. In today’s episode, Stephan shares his story, transitioning from flying helicopters for the US Navy...

Send us Fan Mail Chris Maingot is an ocean engineer and physical oceanographer. Growing up in South Florida, Chris always felt at home in the water and- after a slight deviation down the path of pre-med- decided to pursue a career in the ocean. Today we chat about what an ocean engineer is, what a physical oceanographer does, and about some crazy ocean phenomenon including waves underneath the wav...

Send us Fan Mail For four decades, Dr. Megan Davis has been working with the iconic queen conch in Florida and all over the Caribbean. In today’s episode, Megan shares how at age 16, she knew she wanted to do conch aquaculture, and how she’s been at the forefront of conch science and aquaculture since. Megan shares how conch is being restored all over the Caribbean, some crazy facts about the icon...