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Ethics for the individual

In Biochemistry, there are many ethical guidelines for a variety of subjects. For this blog I have chosen one of the most basic, yet the most important, ethical guideline: the use of informed consents. Below is a sample picture of one of these forms from Google Images.

In Biochemistry, there are many ethical guidelines for a variety of subjects. For this blog I have chosen one of the most basic, yet the most important, ethical guideline.

During clinical trials, a biochemist will gather a group of a few volunteers to test a product, method, or behavior. To ensure personal safety, an informed consent is given to each individual volunteer. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, an “informed consent is a process used by researchers to provide potential and enrolled participants with information about a clinical study.”

Informed consents are used in every clinical study involving human volunteers. It allows the participants of the trials to be aware of exactly what will happen to them. The U.S. National Institutes of Health also explains that an informed consent allows these participants to withdrawal from the experiment at any time, for any reason.

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August 25, 2016 0

The field of marine biology is very vast. I chose it as my future occupation because of this. A person can choose to specialize in mammals and their evolution, in the ecosystem, or in one species found in a specific area. It offers so many choices that I feel as if I have the freedom and time to really choose a field to specialize in.

blog-3 — **Image from:** adventure.howstuffworks.com

According to Bioscience careers, despite there being so many options for marine biologist to specialize in different fields of study, the number of marine biologists far exceeds the need for them. This means that job opportunities are decreasing. However, many places hire marine biologists. Some of the places that hire them, depending on what they specialize in are (Marine, 1):

Museums
Zoos/aquariums
The government
Colleges
Private laboratories

Employment projections supports the fact that job opportunities for marine biologist are decreasing by giving an estimated employment rate for the future. In 2014, 36.4 people were employed as a marine biologist, which will drop to 36.2 people in 2024 (Employment, 1). This may not sound like a large drop, but it certainly will be for the many people who won’t have a job in their chosen field of study.

Knowing that the job opportunities will decrease, it’s best to have degrees and experience directly related to what employers will be looking for. According to NOAA Fisheries, most people employed as marine biologists have a bachelor’s degree in biology and a masters in zoology (Careers, 1). This surprised me because I was expecting people to have a marine biology degree. This information has made me decide to get my bachelor’s degree in biology and minor in chemistry, because I still feel that chemistry is important in marine biology.

References

Careers in Marine Biology. (2015, November 06). Retrieved October 08, 2016, from https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?id=54

Employment Projections. (2014). Retrieved October 08, 2016, from http://data.bls.gov/projections/occupationProj

Marine Biologist | Bioscience Careers | About Bioscience. (n.d.). Retrieved October 07, 2016, from http://www.aboutbioscience.org/careers/marinebiologist

Why Nemo won’t be found

An everlasting problem in marine biology is pollution. There are many different types of pollution, but today I chose to focus on plastics. Throughout the day, many people use plastic items. Plastic keeps food fresh and items sealed away, making life much more convenient. However, not everyone realizes that plastic can’t be broken down. When plastic isn’t recycled, it often ends up in the land or the ocean. This kills a large portion of marine life. According to Clean Water Action, “plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.” Their deaths aren’t pretty, often the result of choking or suffocation as shown in the picture from earthknight.org.

To be fair, the average person doesn’t simply walk to the ocean and throw their trash in. However, our garbage has many ways of landing in the ocean. Through wind, rain, or being dumped too close to the ocean, garbage will find it’s way to the sea. The Center for Biological Diversity tells us that billions of pounds of plastic can be found floating on the surface of water.

The key to reducing plastic pollution lies in recycling and simple prevention techniques. Cutting back on using disposable products is one of these techniques. It will save the environment as well as save you money. Help save the marine life. Help keep the dream of “Finding Nemo” alive.

References

OCEAN PLASTICS POLLUTION: A Global Tragedy for Our Oceans and Sea Life. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/

The Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.cleanwater.org/problem-marine-plastic-pollution

September 15, 2016 0