Does spending your day scuba diving and boating sound like fun? To some
marine botanists, it's all in a day's work. Marine botany appeals to people
with an interest in science and a love for being around bodies of water.
Louis Druehl spends his time at a marine research station. He is also a
university professor and the owner of his own botanical business.
"I became a marine botanist through the process of elimination. I started
studying zoology, but I really liked botany and over time, I discovered that
I liked working with seaweed. So I specialized in marine botany and I have
been in this field for almost 32 years now." Druehl has a bachelor's degree
in botany and a PhD in botany and oceanography.
As a professor, Druehl's typical day would involve giving lectures in the
mornings, then working in the lab, spending time with undergraduate students,
doing his own research and performing administrative tasks for the department.
"My research involves two areas: genetic research into the evolution of
kelp and research on the farming of seaweed, which is a new field for North
America. I research different species of kelp and I look at ways to improve
farming conditions."
Druehl particularly enjoys working with the students, especially on the
research station. "Here, research is curiosity-driven. You can follow your
instincts and do what you want." Stresses in the occupation come from office
politics and dealing with the conflicts and struggles that occur in any workplace.
"Study science and go to university if you want to be a marine botanist,"
advises the professor. "You are looking at 10 years of university and two
to four years of post-doctoral studies. Post-doctoral studies are a period
of time where you get your feet wet and work in a lab to mature. But the further
you get into it, the more enjoyable it becomes."
Cynthia A. Moncreiff is a marine biologist. She has a bachelor's degree
in biology, a master's degree in marine science and a doctorate in biology,
plus post-doctoral training.
Throughout her college career, Moncreiff worked in research laboratories
to gain additional experience. "That extra knowledge is what best prepared
me for my present position, though the classes I took also helped," she says.
"I work with marine plants. Sometimes I help people who work on animals
such as fish, invertebrates and even porpoises. I identify the plants that
may be affecting the animals in their studies -- usually submerged aquatic
vegetation like seagrasses or phytoplankton, which are microscopic single-celled
plants."
Moncreiff specializes in seagrasses and red tide, a common name for a bloom
of phytoplankton that can color the water red and that can be toxic under
certain conditions. Much of her research is done in her home state of Mississippi.
"Most days, I am looking for algae blooms or seagrasses that are within
10 to 15 miles of home. Occasionally, I travel to the Florida Panhandle and
to St. Joseph Bay or the Chandeleur Islands along the eastern edge of Louisiana."
When not working in the field, Moncreiff teaches at a university. "What
I like about my work is that every day is different enough to keep my job
interesting. When I am giving a lecture, I get to share what I have learned.
I also love to spend time around the water, so I really enjoy that."
As a member of the research faculty of the Institute of Marine Sciences
at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Moncreiff provides botanical expertise
to the state. "I am also expected to write grants to support research projects
within my areas of expertise and interest, and to support graduate student
education and research."
The most exciting moment of Moncreiff's career was the opportunity
to work on the first-ever discovery of a certain toxic bloom of algae in the
Mississippi Sound. "Until then, this species had never been reported from
our near shore coastal waters. It was an unusual and exciting discovery.
"Before that, the most exciting time was finding star grass growing and
flowering at much shallower depths than it was reported to occur in the botanical
literature. But part of this answer is that I may not have seen it yet. What
I may see tomorrow or next week or next year is what keeps me here and interested."
For Charles Kopczak, the aquarist at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in Los Angeles,
the most memorable moment of his career happened when he was scuba diving
near Catalina Island, researching the giant kelp forest that grows there.
"I was hovering three feet below the surface of the water, looking down
on these giant plants that grow to 150 feet or more. The forest is as dense
as any land forest that you will find. Suddenly the surface of the ocean moved
and the forest parted, creating this opening that I could look through. I
had the sensation that I knew what it would be like to be a bird flying through
the air looking down on a forest. It was a transcended experience -- very
memorable."
Kopczak has a bachelor's and a master's degree in marine biology from California
State University, and a PhD in marine botany from the University of Southern
California. "I've done a lot of work with large marine algae, although I've
also worked with microscopic plants," says the aquarist, who began conducting
marine research in 1981.
"I was working on my master's degree, and I was studying fish. Then, almost
for the first time, I noticed the giant kelp and it was really incredible.
It's golden brown, very dense, and with the sunlight streaming through it
was really beautiful. I decided I wanted to study the kelp for my doctoral
research."
Kopczak is the founding director of an aquarium. He worked there until
1998, when he moved to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
"As an aquarist here, I help care for all the living things at the aquarium
-- both plants and animals. We clean tanks, make sure the animals and plants
are healthy, work on the equipment that keeps them alive. Also, we launch
other projects, new displays. This means going out scuba diving and collecting
more organisms."
Kopczak loves his work for many reasons. "I work at the beach. I work mostly
outdoors and that excites me. I also get to share my knowledge with the people
that come to visit. It isn't really a stressful occupation, but sometimes
when you are collecting animals, it is stressful because you worry about their
health. We need to be stewards. We go to great pains to make sure the animals
are kept as healthy and happy as possible."
Kopczak's advice: "If you want to be a marine botanist, get the best education
you possibly can. But don't go to school with the idea of becoming a marine
botanist. Go with the idea that you want to learn to be a good scientist.
Give yourself a broad range of skills with the idea that you will use these
skills to study plants in the ocean."