SPOTLIGHT ON…
September 22nd, 2006 by aurevouirgeowDenise breitbrug
marine biologist
Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre
sland and used to love walking on the beach in the winter. During my sophomore year iAlmost 30 years. I’ve always been fascinated by the sea. I grew up on Long Island and used to love walking on the beach in the winter. During my sophomore year in college, I got to go snorkeling in St. John’s in the US Virgin Islands. I was so amazed by the colors and diversity of life underwater that I got hooked. I also think I watched way too many Jacques Cousteau movies as a kid. n college, I got to go snorkeling in St. John’s in the US Virgin Islands. I was so amazed by the colors and diversity of life underwater that I got hooked. I also think I watched way too many Jacques Cousteau movies as a kid.
What do you like best about being a marine biologist?
I love seeing new places and meeting interesting people from all over the world. And I love being in the water and watching the amazing creatures there. Mostly, though, I like doing research. Research consists of dreaming up interesting questions you’re curious about, gathering information to try to answer the questions and then trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out how to interpret the information you’ve gathered. It’s actually a very creative process. Sometimes figuring out how to solve a problem takes calculus and years of study; sometimes it takes common sense and the
Can you tell us about a typical day at work?
Summers and winters are very different. During the summer, I spend a lot of time on boats and doing experiments. During the winter, most of my time is spent analyzing data from the summer’s work, reading, writing papers and writing proposals for future research.
Can you explain some of the work that you do on the boats in the summer? What have you been working on recently?
We videotaped jellyfish as they swam near the surface of the water at various parts of the tidal cycle for several days and made sure that a boat compass that we attached to the frame was also in view. The first day on the water was a beautiful one. It was sunny and clear and we saw great blue herons flying overhead. We had a great time until our motor died and we had to row and pull the boat back to the dock. We also got stung (the jellyfish in Chesapeake Bay are quite painful, but not dangerous unless you’re allergic to them), but I’d still choose this kind of work over something that kept me indoors all the time. 
What has been the most exciting experience you’ve had as a marine biologist?
When we got back to the lab we used video editing software to capture the images and image analysis software to calculate the direction the jellyfish were swimming. We had also done some diving previously to deploy a current meter that would tell us the speed and direction the water was moving. By combining the information on swimming directions and water currents, we could tell if jellyfish were swimming against the current, with the current or just swimming in random directions and getting passively transported with water masses.
Getting to meet interesting people from all over the world and see amazing underwater sights–from California kelp beds to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the oyster reefs of the Chesapeake Bay. I enjoy being part of a community that is spread all over the world, but that is connected by common interests and goals. I can go to a meeting in Spain (like I did last summer), or to one that is close to home and catch up with old friends or make new ones. Everyone is smart, interesting and has exciting stories to tell about their work.
If a teenager wanted be a marine biologist, what would you tell her?
Take more math classes and learn to write well. You will need to go to graduate school in order to be the one who gets to dream up the questions, but there are interesting opportunities at any level. Also, if you live near an estuary like the Chesapeake Bay, or along the coast, there are many community groups that focus on environmental restoration and conservation. In my area, people of all ages are involved in replanting sea grasses, growing oysters from docks and letting our government officials know how important a healthy Chesapeake Bay is to us. Some environmental organizations offer summer camps for teens. You can also check with local aquariums and zoos to see if there are opportunities to volunteer. And, of course, you can read and learn as much as you can about marine biology on your own
If you could go back in time, what would you say to your teenageself? Don’t worry about what others will think. Figure out what makes you happy and how to share that joy with others. The rest will follow. 
