What’s The Difference Between Marine Science and Marine Biology?

Marine biology vs. Marine science. What’s the difference?

They may sound like two sides of the same coin, but this isn’t a “tomato, tomah-to” situation. Although both fields deal with the study of the ocean, there are some crucial differences between the two that are important to know and understand, especially if you’re considering a career working with the ocean.

While marine biology deals with the study of marine life and marine mammals from fish to whales, marine sciences instead centers on the geology, chemistry, and physics of the ocean itself. In basic terms, marine science studies the sea while marine biology focuses on the marine organisms like plants and animals that live within it.

Let’s dive in further to learn more about how these two fields of study are different yet frequently cover similar territory and topics.

Marine Science vs Marine Biology: What’s the Difference?

So you know that you want to study something related to the ocean. Looking at degrees and fields of study that can lead to a career in the ocean sciences, marine biology and marine sciences are two of the most popular options. But what’s the difference between the two and which is best for you?

Marine Biology

If you love animals and wildlife, being a marine biologist may be more up your alley. Marine biology studies the biology of plants and animals that live in a marine environment like the open ocean, coral reefs, and even coastal habitats like wetlands and estuaries.

In a marine biology program, you’ll be studying things like the evolution, anatomy, physiology, and behavior of marine organisms. You’ll also be learning about how different marine species interact.

Working with marine flora and fauna, a degree in marine biology opens the door to all sorts of fun and fulfilling job possibilities. You can work in wildlife conservation to help protect endangered or threatened marine wildlife, work in the aquaculture industry at fisheries, be a veterinarian specializing in marine animals, and much more.

Marine Science

In contrast, marine science focuses more on the ocean itself instead of the plants and animals that inhabit it. You’ll be studying topics like physical oceanography (such as tides and currents), marine physics, the chemistry of the marine environment, the geology of the ocean floor, and other subjects.

In short, marine science is an environmental science rather than a biological one.

Just like marine biology, marine science is a very broad field of study with many different areas of specialization. Depending on what you choose to focus on as a marine scientist, you could work in research, marine engineering, technology, or the pharmaceutical field.

Marine Science or Marine Biology: Can I Do Both?

Although each focuses on a different area of science, there’s still a lot of overlap between marine scientists and marine biologists, like:

• Getting to study and work with the ocean
• Cool opportunities to travel and explore marine environments
• Contributing to valuable scientific research
• Diverse career options and job opportunities in fields from education to government policy to non-profits

In order to figure out which may be a better fit for you, it’s a good idea to do a general experience that exposes you to both fields of study.

On a Sea|mester gap year sailing program, your academic studies include classes in marine biology, oceanography, and nautical science. The oceanography course introduces you to marine science concepts like ocean chemistry and geological oceanography (such as studying the ocean floor), while the marine biology course covers marine life taxonomy, evolutionary relationships, and more.

Taking both marine science courses and marine biology classes gives you a solid foundation in the overall field of ocean studies and can help you figure out whether you’d prefer to get a marine biology degree or a marine science degree.