Posted 4-3-00

To answer your question, Sci4kids spoke to Gary Richards of ARS in Dover, Delaware. Dr. Richards got his start in marine biology but later switched to microbiology and molecular biology (I'll tell you why later). Dr. Richards said four years in college are usually enough to become a marine biologist, but some students also spend additional time on Masters degree or postdoctorate work.

While in school, you learn about various topics of marine biology, such as the impact of pollution on aquatic life and the ecosystem; monitoring population levels of popular fish that we eat, like blue-fin tuna, as well as shellfish, such as clams and oysters.

Marine biologists even hunt after diseases that can wreak havoc on fish, shellfish or coral populations. Then, there's the allure of underwater adventures, such as those depicted on educational television programs. While swimming alongside a whale must be a thrill, for example, scientists are just as interested in the ocean's tiniest inhabitants, such as bacteria and other microorganisms.

That's where Dr. Richards comes in. As a microbiologist, his chief interest is studying bacteria and viruses that sometimes get into the tissues of fish and shellfish that we consume. Some of these microorganisms can make us sick, though such cases are rare in seafood. By finding out what makes these microscopic critters tick--and where, when or how they get into the fish we eat--scientists can develop even better safeguards for seafood lovers.

-- Sci4Kids Staff, Gary Richards, microbiologist, USDA-ARS Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, Dover, Del.

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