Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following are summaries of the most frequently asked questions we receive. If your question is not answered here, please check our Plankton Forums before contacting us if your question has to do with school, career advice or general marine life science. We get thousands of questions a year and are unable to answer all of them individually. Thank you!
General Questions about MarineBio
Questions about education or careers in the marine life sciences
Questions about marine life
Questions about marine conservation
General Questions about MarineBio
Who are you guys?
Since 1998, we have been a volunteer nonprofit organization of marine biologists, students, professors, and conservation advocates working to share the wonders of the ocean realm online to inspire conservation, education, research, and a sea ethic. For information on the founder and current directors, see our About Us page, which also lists information about our mission and philosophy.
Who funds you?
Currently we cover most of the costs ourselves, although we have some help from sponsors on the site and the generous donations from our members. We also receive help from our contributors and interns who have contributed to the site as either professionals or interns. See our MarineBio Projects page to see what projects we're currently working on to achieve our Mission.
Are you hiring?
Not at this time though we are always seeking talented interns/volunteers to help out with the immense work we have yet to do.
I'm an expert about a group of marine animals or plants and would like to get involved. Who should I talk to?
Contact our Founder, David Campbell at David@marinebio.org or +1 (713) 248-2576 PST to discuss the possibilities. We are currently seeking Directors of the following: Dolphins, Pinnipeds, Fishes, Coral, Crustaceans, Echinoderms, Plankton (Phyto and/or Zooplankton) and the Deep Sea. See /scientists.asp for more information.
What do your internships entail?
We are looking for biology, zoology, marine biology, etc. students and/or marketing or communications students who wish to gain some experience and to supplement their resumes. Internships are volunteer virtual assignments to help with the MarineBio Network itself and it's various projects. Areas include:
1. Expansion/refinement of content in the Ocean, Marine Conservation and Marine Life sections - please read those sections and email David@marinebio.org with suggestions, references, URLs, etc.
2. Projects on the Projects page - see /research/projects
3. Marketing/PR work - work would include writing letters and emails to potential partners, helping with our online/offline marketing plan, etc. Email David@marinebio.org if you're interested, and please send a brief description of your background and a few words about what aspects of the above you would like to get involved with and how you think you might benefit MarineBio's Mission.
How else can I get involved to help save/protect/restore the ocean?
1. Please visit our Marine Conservation section to learn more about a Sea Ethic, Sustainable Fisheries, Biodiversity, Global Warming, Habitat Conservation, Sustainable Tourism and more. Knowledge is power. Tell others about it, talk to strangers, tell your kids... the ocean needs our help and we need the ocean.
2. Read Dr. Carl Safina's books, the EYE of the ALBATROSS and the Song for the Blue Ocean that we cannot recommend highly enough.
"Since our species first evolved, we have concentrated our efforts on ensuring the survival and well-being of ourselves, our families, our tribes, and, more recently, our nations. Now we must broaden our focus once more to embrace the goal of ensuring the survival and well-being of our living planet. Deciding how we will maintain the biological parts and processes of our home, how we will save, study, and sustainably use life on Earth, is a challenge far beyond anything humankind has faced. But alternatives that fail to maintain our biotic systems will inevitably lead to diminishing living standards, to widespread misery, and, finally, to death on a scale beyond anything that has befallen our species... all within the life span of a single massive coral head. People and institutions can avoid this by keeping the goal of maintaining the integrity of life constantly in mind as we formulate and implement our strategies to conserve biological diversity." - Dr. Carl Safina
3. We also highly recommend Marine Conservation Biology: The Science of Maintaining the Sea's Biodiversity edited by Michael E. Soule, Elliott A. Norse, Larry B. Crowder, Marine Conservation Institute, Island Press, 2005
4. See our "101 Ways to Make a Difference" and Dr. Moyle's "What you can do to save wildlife" pages.
5. Make a donation and/or join the MarineBio Conservation Society and help us continue spreading the word and more.
Do you offer advertising?
Not in the traditional sense because we are a nonprofit organization (though non-tax deductible traditional advertising is possible, contact us for more information). However, we do offer a Network Sponsorship Program. See our MarineBio Sponsors page for more information.
If you would like exposure for your marine life related service, etc. you may also add it in our Marine Life Directory. All submissions are reviewed and moved to the proper category if needed. You may also "Suggest a Site" to us here /oceans/resource. We will review and add it wherever we think it would be most useful to members and visitors. You may also join our forums at planktonforums.org and post interesting information about your group that would interest marine biologists, students, ocean lovers, etc. (the forum is closely moderated and spam is not tolerated). All links are tested monthly and those that return errors are removed.
What sort of partnerships and sponsorships do you offer?
At this time we are open to all possibilities. If you are involved in marine research, education, conservation or photography/videography, etc. we would like to hear from you. Or if you like what we do and would like to help support our efforts, you can contact us via email at info@marinebio.org or direct at anytime at +1 (713) 248-2576 PST.
Can I use your photos or other content?
With the exception of photography, feel free to contact us to use specific content that you would like to publish. All content is copyrighted and we expect credit for any content used. We do not allow our photographs to be used; many of them are provided through strict and exclusive agreements with the photographers. Linking directly to our photos so that they show up on pages outside the MarineBio Network is also forbidden. This is called "hotlinking" and is essentially stealing both the photos and our bandwidth. We test for this periodically and report the websites that are doing this. You can, however, use our content for offline, personal reasons such as printing copies to study, etc. If you have any questions, email us at info@marinebio.org. Please see our Copyright and Terms of Use which you agree to by default when visiting the MarineBio Network.
Do you offer memberships?
All those that register at the Plankton Forums are considered "Plankton Forum Members". All those who join or make donations to the MarineBio Conservation Society are considerd either MarineBio Conservation Society donors or members.
Can you send me printed materials about you or of content on MarineBio?
At this time we do not produce any printed materials, such as brochures, etc. and with at least 1,000 pages of content on the MarineBio Network we do not offer printed copies for free. You are free to print your own copies of pages of interest.
I found an error on one of your pages, what should I do?
We appreciate all feedback concerning content on the MarineBio Network. When an error is found, please click the appropriate link under "Feedback?" on species home pages or simply email us at info@marinebio.org and describe what you found to be in error. We will review it and make updates as soon as possible. If you find an error related to scientific data, please be sure to include a reference to published literature so that we can verify the correction.
Can you put a link to my site on MarineBio.org? Are you paid by those you link to?
We are not paid by any of those we link to on the MarineBio Network. All links from the network were chosen by us or suggested by visitors and then reviewed by us as useful or interesting resources for those visiting who are usually interested in marine life, research, education or conservation. If your site meets our standards then we may include a link to your site in a number of places. You can suggest a site to us in the following ways:
1. Email the link and a short description to info@marinebio.org.
2. Add it to the Resource Directory via the "Submit Marine Life Resource" link in the upper right of any page in the directory.
3. Post it in the Plankton Forums under the appropriate category or join and add it to your signature.
I'm a Marine Biologist or studying to become one in [a country or U.S. State] and would like to help with an international or State page about marine biology and conservation in my area, what should I do?
Wonderful! Please send us an email to info@marinebio.org if you would like to help build a page on the network for your country or State.
Questions about education or careers in the marine life sciences
I'm interested in becoming a Marine Biologist, what should I do?
Please review the content and posts at: Marine Biology Education Resources and Careers & Education in Marine Biology. If you still have questions afterward, feel free to register with the Plankton Forums and post them in the appropriate forum.
I need to know which school is best for me to study Marine Biology. Can you help?
That will depend upon many factors, many of which are discussed in the forum at planktonforums.org/viewforum.php?f=5. If you don't find your answer there, feel free to register and post your questions in there for the best responses. We also have a list of schools that offer Marine Biology degree programs at /marinebio/careers/us-schools.asp (US schools) and /marinebio/careers/international-schools.asp (schools outside the US). The lists are always changing and contain what we think are the majority of schools offering degree programs in Marine Biology to help people just like you.
I'm doing a research article on marine biology. I was wondering if you could recommend any topics.
Sure! We recommend any topics that have to do with marine conservation. Marine conservation is a vital subject that currently is too often ignored in mainline research. One book we would like to recommend as a great resource for possible research topics concerning marine conservation is Marine Conservation Biology - The Science of Maintaining the Sea's Biodiversity. If you would like to discuss this further, please see our forum here: planktonforums.org/viewforum.php?f=7 and post at will.
What's it like being a Marine Biologist? I need to interview one for a school project, etc.
See our latest reply to a request for an interview at planktonforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=4936. Otherwise, please visit our forum titled: "Need Help with School Reports, Interview...?" at planktonforums.org/viewforum.php?f=9 which was created just for you.
Where can I meet/chat with Marine Biologists?
We currently have many Marine Biologists as members of our very popular Plankton Forums located at planktonforums.org. We'll look forward to seeing you there!
Questions about marine life
I'm interested in marine life/Marine Biology, can you tell me more about it? Where do I start?
So are we! We have hundreds of pages and counting of information just for you. You might start at The Ocean section where we explore some of what is known about the ocean in what is essentially an online introduction to marine biology and ocean science. The Marine Life section is the essence of MarineBio, so in this section we explore information on the biology, morphology, behavior, ecological relationships, taxonomy, and conservation status of the fascinating marine life that inhabits the ocean from nanoplankton to Blue whales. The Marine Conservation section covers some of the key issues in marine conservation and we hope that by helping to educate the public we can mobilize action to stop the destruction, prevent the loss, and preserve what's left of marine life in our largest living space—the ocean. We hope you enjoy your journey and we love feedback either directly or in our Plankton Forums.
I saw a marine thing/fish/crab/shrimp/... and need help identifying it. Can you help?
Sure, we love a challenge though we usually recommend the many books out there for the best help with species identification. If you have a good photo(s) or video and can upload them somewhere on the Web, post your question(s) and links to the photos/videos in the Plankton Forums and we'll be happy to help.
I need to find good books about marine life to read, can you suggest any?
We've made a page of the wonderful books we use everyday at our MarineBio References page at: /research/references - most are linked to their Amazon.com pages where if you buy them we get a very small percentage from the sales (4%) that goes directly to help with our efforts. We have also posted our favorite marine life DVDs at /research/references/ which are also linked to Amazon.com.
I read an interesting story about marine life that I think you should know about....
Feel free to email us a link to it at info@marinebio.org or post it in the Plankton Forums so that everyone benefits. We also have a Marine Life News page that pulls news from many different sources with news stories generally about marine life at /news.asp.
I would like to submit some information about a particular species that you don't yet have online. What should I do?
Great! You can email us suggestions at info@marinebio.org.
Questions about marine conservation
How can I find out more about marine conservation?
The best place to start is in our Marine Conservation section at /oceans/conservation. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the Marine Conservation forum at planktonforums.org/viewforum.php?f=7. We've listed the majority of marine conservation organizations at /oceans/conservation/organizations.asp with descriptions about them to help you decide which to join if you would like to get involved further. The list is updated frequently, let us know if we've missed any or if you would like to know more about an issue at info@marinebio.org.
How can I get more involved? (Save the whales, dolphins, turtles, sea otters, etc.)
See the question above, read Dr. Carl Safina's books, the EYE of the ALBATROSS and the Song for the Blue Ocean that we cannot recommend highly enough as well as Marine Conservation Biology : The Science of Maintaining the Sea's Biodiversity by Michael E. Soule, Elliott A. Norse, Larry B. Crowder, Marine Conservation Institute, Island Press, 2005, visit our "100 Things We Can ALL Do" and Dr. Moyle's "What you can do to save wildlife" and finally, you can make a donation or join the MarineBio Conservation Society to help us continue spreading the word and more.
Feedback?
Something missing or incorrect in the above? Let us know!
Sea Life News :: ScienceDailyLessons in coral reef survival from deep time
Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today's coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth's systems. Today's complex relationship between fishes and corals developed relatively recently in geological terms -- and is a major factor in shielding reef species from extinction, say experts.
Carbon dioxide is 'driving fish crazy'
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says a professor.
Multiple partners not the only way for corals to stay cool
For the first time scientists have shown that corals hosting a single type of zooxanthellae can have different levels of thermal tolerance -– a feature that was only known previously for corals with a mix of zooxanthellae. This finding is important because many species of coral are dominated by a single type of zooxanthellae.
Inventory lists 19,232 newly discovered species during latest count
More than half of the 19,232 species newly known to science in 2009, the most recent calendar year of compilation, were insects -- 9,738 or 50.6 percent -- according to the 2011 State of Observed Species.
Extremely rare turtle is released into the wild
Biologists have successfully released a Southern River terrapin (Batagur affinis) – one of the most endangered turtles on Earth – into the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia.
Breakthrough model reveals evolution of ancient nervous systems through seashell colors
Determining the evolution of pigmentation patterns on mollusk seashells -- which could aid in the understanding of ancient nervous systems -- has proved to be a challenging feat for researchers. Now, however, through mathematical equations and simulations, researchers have used 19 different species of the predatory sea snail Conus to generate a model of the pigmentation patterns of mollusk shells.
Wandering albatross alters its foraging due to climate change
Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed of albatrosses increased and they spend less time foraging. As a consequence, breeding success has improved and birds have gained 1 kilogram.
Can we save the whales by putting a price on them?
Every year, anti-whaling groups spend millions of dollars on activities intended to end commercial whaling. And every year, commercial whaling not only continues, but grows. While protests, education, lobbying and dangerous confrontations on the high seas have saved some whales, the whaling industry shows no sign of shutting down -- or slowing down. Now, an economist and two marine scientists suggest a new strategy that they believe could save whales by putting a price on them.
Lake Erie algae and ice make a nice mix in winter
Scientists have studied Lake Erie over the past five winters during mid-winter, a time when the lake is more than 70 percent covered by ice. They've documented very high concentrations of algae thriving in the water below the ice -- even in the ice itself.
Fish offspring grow best at same temperature as parents
Fish parents can pre-condition their offspring to grow fastest at the temperature they experienced, according to new research.
World's most extreme deep-sea vents revealed: Deeper than any seen before, and teeming with new creatures
Scientists have revealed details of the world's most extreme deep-sea volcanic vents, five kilometers down in a rift in the Caribbean seafloor. The undersea hot springs, which lie 0.8 kilometers deeper than any seen before, may be hotter than 450 °C and are shooting a jet of mineral-laden water more than a kilometer into the ocean above.
Bycatch-22: Protecting Butterfish
Scientists work to assist fishermen in ways to avoid accidentally hauling in butterfish, a species protected by fishing limits. The researchers develop models to predict where the fish will be.
Paddlefish sensors tuned to detect signals from zooplankton prey
Neurons fire in a synchronized bursting pattern in response to robust signals indicating nearby food.
Harp seals on thin ice after 32 years of warming
Warming in the North Atlantic over the last 32 years has significantly reduced winter sea ice cover in harp seal breeding grounds, resulting in sharply higher death rates among seal pups in recent years, according to a new study.
Fish mimics octopus that mimics fish
Nature's game of intimidation and imitation comes full circle in the waters of Indonesia, where scientists have recorded for the first time an association between the black-marble jawfish and the mimic octopus.
Salt water alone unlikely to halt Burmese python invasion
Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments.
'Lost world' discovered around Antarctic vents
Communities of species previously unknown to science have been discovered on the seafloor near Antarctica, clustered in the hot, dark environment surrounding hydrothermal vents. The discoveries include new species of yeti crab, starfish, barnacles, sea anemones, and potentially an octopus.
Molecular mechanism links temperature with sex determination in some fish species
Researchers have found the epigenetic mechanism that links temperature and gonadal sex in fish. High temperature increases DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter in females.
Sunlight and bunker oil a fatal combination for Pacific herring
The 2007 Cosco Busan disaster, which spilled 54,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay, had an unexpectedly lethal impact on embryonic fish, devastating a commercially and ecologically important species for nearly two years, reports a new study.
Bacteria's move from sea to land may have occurred much later than thought
A new analysis indicates the shift of soil bacteria Azospirillum may have occurred only 400 million years ago, rather than approximately two billion years earlier as originally thought.
Help us continue to share the wonders of the ocean with the world, raise awareness of marine conservation issues and their solutions, and support marine conservation scientists and students involved in the marine life sciences. Join the MarineBio Conservation Society or make a donation today. We would like to sincerely thank all of our members and donors, we simply could not have achieved what we have without you and we look forward to doing even more.
