Here at UndertheC, we finally have the answer to the question you’ve always been asking yourself…what is your marine science destiny? When you finally take the plunge and decide to become a marine scientist, what will you research? Take our highly scientific, extensively thought-out quiz below and find out!

 

Charismatic Megafauna:

The ocean may in reality be filled with a huge amount of stuff other than Flipper and Free Willy, but let’s be real here: marine mammal research is where it’s at. Why study something slimy, smelly, and/or microscopic when you can be friends with a dolphin or listen to whale songs all day?

SCUBA-ing for Coral:

You’re attracted to bright, shiny things and this extends to your research. So head on down to the tropics and spend your days swimming among brightly colored corals and tropical fish. Better act fast, though, since ocean acidification will likely bleach a lot of the most colorful corals in the coming decades.

Phytoplankton Cruises:

Yo ho, yo ho! Your research takes place on the high seas, out in the middle of the vast blue ocean. Sail there along with your salty scientist crew on a research cruise to discover the wonderful world of phytoplankton! You can’t see them, but they’re always there, watching you…and producing half the oxygen in the air we breathe.

Oyster Reefs and Estuaries:

You’ve learned that marine science doesn’t have to be an ordeal that involves weeks or months away from your home (and internet). You should study estuaries, the easily-accessible, yet totally important areas where rivers meet the sea. Sure, estuaries might smell funky and be chock full of bugs, mud, and goop, but oysters on the half shell don’t get any fresher than the ones you’re examining for your research.

Submarine Exploring:

You’re an adventurer, and since it doesn’t look like we’ll be heading to Mars anytime soon you’ll settle for the next best thing—exploring the deepest, weirdest parts of the ocean. Using Alvin, a mini submarine specially designed for science, you’ll research steaming hydrothermal vents, rotting whale falls, and maybe even find a shipwreck or two.

ROV’s:

You’re a man or woman of the future, and were probably at least a little excited for rollouts of products like Google Glass and the Apple Watch. Your research will involve your own little fleet of underwater robots—ROV’s, a.k.a Remotely Operated Vehicles—that will travel the ocean gathering data so you don’t have to. So sit back in your comfy office chair in front of your computer, enjoy the AC and high speed wifi, and ride that wave of the future.

Marine Policy:

You’re a do-gooder, and I mean that in the best possible way. You don’t let life (or politics) get you down, and that’s why we need you outside the research world —applying science to real life in the realm of marine policy. You’ll have the power (or at least the semblance of power) to affect decisions ranging from quotas for fish catches to the environmental impacts of offshore drilling. But as the rose-colored glasses come off and you become entangled in bureaucratic red tape, will you begin to use your powers for evil? Only time will tell.

Playing in the Dirt:

You were the kind of kid who made (and let’s be honest, probably ate) mud pies during recess, and in some ways not a whole lot has changed. You’ll research the sediments that underlay our oceans, from goopy grey mud to crystal white sand. There’s fossils to be found, as well and rare metals and strange mineral formations. What’s not to love?