How to Learn about and Work in Ocean Conservation

We get asked all the time, “How do I get into shark conservation?”, “What jobs are out there that get me closer to the ocean?”, “Where do I go to intern or volunteer in the field?”. The growing interest people have in focusing their energies towards ocean and shark conservation is extremely encouraging. For the individuals, it can be very frustrating though. It is hard to know where to start. We will attempt to give a little guidance in this section.

In general, it is best to not think of “conservation” as a job description. Within conservation and advocacy, there are many different skill sets that lead to jobs. They could be more closely related to engineering, construction, or the creative arts than they may be to marine biology. Many do not require an academic approach, but rather build on practical experience. There are also options for people that simply want to self-study and become experts in a specific topic, such as sharks. Working alongside scientists and researchers is probably the most tricky request of them all. The work is often highly technical and doesn’t leave a lot of room for untrained volunteers. Actual boat time with sharks is also not easy to come by. Most advocacy work for sharks doesn’t actually take place on the ocean and even graduate students that specialize in sharks have few projects to choose from that actually get them into the water with sharks. But do not despair, there are many different ways to approach your goals to be an ocean expert!

This page and all the sections are work-in-progress. More info will be added in the coming months.