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all 58 comments

[–]soccernamlakmarine biology 46 points47 points ago

Sigh I know the feeling.

It stays the same way in graduate school, when you have to constantly explain to your friends (and even undergraduates) that no, being a Marine Biologist doesn't mean I get to play with dolphins all day. Phytoplankton need love, too.

[–]homerr 17 points18 points ago

Damnit. I need to rethink my future if I don't get to play with dolphins all day.

[–]HumanoidCarbonUnitzoology 8 points9 points ago

To be fair two of the three people I know with a marine bio concentration do play with dolphins all day. The other works with great white sharks.

[–]zarisin 5 points6 points ago

I have a BS in Marine Bio and I just play with oysters. But I get free seafood a lot of the time.

[–]misplaced_my_pants 7 points8 points ago

Stop eating the specimens, man.

[–]zarisin 2 points3 points ago

I only eat them when the experiments over.

[–]Somali_Pir8 2 points3 points ago

Sea turtles need love, too.

Fixed it? Right.....?

[–]keepthepace 0 points1 point ago

At least, you get to work on a ship, right? Right?

[–]soccernamlakmarine biology 0 points1 point ago

I study surf-zone phytoplankton. The only ship that's good near the beach is this one

[–]ekolacinbotany 31 points32 points ago

Botany. I feel your pain.

[–]throughtheforest 7 points8 points ago

I'm botany/plant ecology and it doesn't even phase me if someone thinks this is an inferior or less significant field. Plants are fascinating and they're what supports life on this planet. Anyone who wants to belittle botany is entirely short-sighted and likely has an over-inflated sense of the worth of what they do.

[–]CubicKinasebotany 6 points7 points ago

I too share a special hate for pre-'insert-medicine discipline here' types.

[–]AgesMcCoorgenetics 1 point2 points ago

I'm know exactly what you mean.

[–]Mnemoceos 1 point2 points ago

Don't worry. As a medical student, I don't like them either.

[–]owls_with_towelsmarine biology 21 points22 points ago

When I was in high school I thought it would be all dolphins and nubile research assistants, then I graduated and got a job and discovered its like accountancy, but with fish...

[–]treedick2011 2 points3 points ago

Don't feel too bad. All engineering has turned out to be so far is keeping track of what went where. That and data analysis.

[–]leafythegreatmarine biology 18 points19 points ago

Dude. I know that feel. They all laugh at you until you tell them that you wrestle sharks.

[–]zarisin 1 point2 points ago

I only got to wrestle a sea turtle once.

[–]professorwhatmarine biology 6 points7 points ago

I flushed a sea hare out of a drain once

[–]Caligapiscisgenetics 16 points17 points ago

I do enjoy teasing my zoologist friend. But most of it goes over her head because she's too busy playing with little fluffy things.

[–]Guineypigzrulz 10 points11 points ago

Man I want to be a zoologist

[–]Caligapiscisgenetics 7 points8 points ago

Zoology is awesome, I just don't tell her that.

[–]Guineypigzrulz 2 points3 points ago

Biology (especially zoology) is pretty much the only subject I like, Cuz it's so fucking awesome!

[–]treedick2011 31 points32 points ago

TIL marine biologists have an inferiority complex. Sorry guys :/

[–]GODhimself37 10 points11 points ago

I don't even understand how that's possible either. Maybe they should just start calling themselves whale biologists.

[–]zipp354 9 points10 points ago

I calls 'em like I see 'em, I'm a whale biologist

[–]leafythegreatmarine biology 9 points10 points ago

Already have too many people ask me if I got to play with dolphins during the summer. The only one I handled was a dead one that they found in a tiger shark, and I didn't even really "handle" it, just helped hoist a giant ice chest containing what was left of it into the back of a pickup.

On the other hand, I did get to spend a fair amount of time on a boat, and one day, we really did go hook-and-line fishing. (It was stated as an "off" day though; we were just ferrying some grad students out to the islands to do some grass studies.) But I also helped a lady dig through hundreds of yellowfin tuna stomachs, picked apart trays of tiny shrimp and fish fry (which was terrible; augh, my neck's cramping just thinking about it), zip-tied pom pom strands to cages to simulate sea grass, and all sorts of weird things.

TL;DR

[–]barefoot_zggenetics[S] 1 point2 points ago

When I grow up, I want to be you.

[–]KingGorilla 0 points1 point ago

I always thought it was the cool biology. It's always portrayed that way in the media

[–]KashiMaevemarine biology 9 points10 points ago

I always feel like the dumb kid yelling, "I like sharks!" in the middle of their grown-up-important-saving-lives-'n-shit conversations.

[–]kisaveoz 2 points3 points ago

Important question is; Do you like turtles?

[–]99ndrecology 9 points10 points ago

Someday, we ecologists and zoologists will rise up against the immunologists and neuroscientists. We will have our day.

[–]RocketMan63 0 points1 point ago

Hey I'm going to be a neuroscientist and you don't know what you're messing with.

[–]MadxHatter0 0 points1 point ago

Better get cracking on those psychic powers.

[–]LonelyNixon 13 points14 points ago

Just so you know aquaman actually possesses super strength, has a magic trident, has extreme endurance which includes being able to survive comfortably at depths thousands of feet bellow sea level, and he has limited psychic abilities that allow him to control all marine life. Also he's the king of Atlantis which is a fairly big nation.

You're no aquaman friend. Useful? Perhaps, but aquaman useful? Naw, not unless you're also some kind of foreign diplomat.

[–]lanstrangevx 6 points7 points ago

I think if we take into the consideration that aquaman an instantly dive thousands of feet and not succumb to decompression shows the flexibility of his organs and rigidity of his bone structure. He can def. take hits like a champ, along with being able to withstand huge amounts of pressure over 10x the ambient 1atm

[–]KeenDreams 1 point2 points ago

And he has a hot wife who is extremely powerful at Atlantean magic. Let's not forget that.

[–]ATownStomp -4 points-3 points ago

A dude with a gun is about as useful as aquaman in a combat situation.

[–]LonelyNixon 5 points6 points ago

Aquaman can take getting shot with bullets....

[–]ATownStomp 4 points5 points ago

How do you know? You've never shot Aquaman.

[–]Careful_Houndoom 0 points1 point ago

Is that a challenge?

[–]mszegedybioengineering 4 points5 points ago

By the way: /r/marinebiology.

[–]barefoot_zggenetics[S] 2 points3 points ago

Just for clarification, I'm doing a Marine Biology & Genetics double major.

[–]pinkandgreencaffeinebiotechnology 7 points8 points ago

Sounds like you have an AquAdvantage on the competition.

[–]Ell975 9 points10 points ago

Its a shame, you used to make witty comments. Now you are all washed up.

[–]pinkandgreencaffeinebiotechnology 8 points9 points ago

Some of us are natural bottom feeders.

[–]Tessen 9 points10 points ago

Thinking about this makes me want to cuttle with someone.

[–]carlgornevolutionary ecology 10 points11 points ago

You might need some kelp.

[–]dude_u_a_creep 4 points5 points ago

You cant just say that to someone! One of these days youre gonna get your wrasse kicked.

[–]pinkandgreencaffeinebiotechnology 6 points7 points ago

It's a sure way to make anemone.

[–]TacoChrist 0 points1 point ago

Don't get too excited while doing that. You might sea squirt.

[–]ClariNerd617marine ecology 1 point2 points ago

I know the feeling all too well.

I attend college in Minnesota, so I get a double-whammy.

[–]Oncocerca 1 point2 points ago

Considering that much of our climate and food supply depends on the marine dcosystem, I would say marine biology is a very important subject.

[–]duckliondogmarine biology 1 point2 points ago

I take the opportunity, whenever it presents itself, to remind my non-marine biology friends that I have cut a dolphin's dick off.

That is usually good for at least a few seconds of stunned silence before they start hitting me.

[–]Ratletimmunology 0 points1 point ago

I'm an immunologist.

We're just jelly because you can't snuggle a leukocyte. :'(

[–]FlaviusValerius 1 point2 points ago

I'm primarily a molecular biologist, I work with microalgae, I've previously worked in leukaemia research, and I think immunologists are without a doubt the most arrogant about their not-particularly-interesting-or-useful craft.

So don't feel bad.

I can remember my supervisor in London telling me "Our research is purely theoretical and will never help produce any medical treatments for Leukaemia" and then turn around and fill out a grant application saying how she deserves money from survivors of cancer and leukaemia because her research is more likely to save lives in the long run because of this and that and the other.

I can't stand that horrible woman and her evil science.

So don't feel bad about being a marine biologist. You're cool and probably really good looking.

[–]Tangential_Diversionmolecular biology 1 point2 points ago

As a molecular biologist:

Marine biologists are useful (and frankly have the best field work, period.) The field has always fascinated me, and even though the work has little application to medicine, I think it's important nonetheless. From my non-professional perspective, it sounds like marine biology holds a lot of clues into our understanding of evolution. Plus, those deep-sea specials on Discovery were always my favorite.

Aquaman however remains useless. Sorry, bud.

[–]MacyyRC -3 points-2 points ago

this is the third repost of this I've seen today.