Careers in Biology
Plants
Agronomist
An agronomist studies soils and plants. Many agronomists work on increasing yields of important crops by improving the quality of soils and selectively breeding plants. Agronomists can specialize in a variety of research subjects, such as soil fertilizers, soil...
Biological Illustrator
If any career melds science and art, it is biological illustration. Despite advances in photography, we still rely on vivid illustrations to help us learn about nature in a visual way. A biological illustrator produces detailed illustrations of everything...
Conservation Biologist
A conservation biologist focuses on sustaining populations and protecting natural habitats, with the overall goal of preserving Earth’s biodiversity. Conservation biologists can work in all fields of biology, specializing in subjects as diverse as coral reefs, cheetahs of the...
Ecologist
An ecologist studies the interactions among the organisms and environmental conditions of an ecosystem. Ecology is a science that requires gathering a huge amount of data from a lot of sources. An ecologist must do this while at the...
Ecotourism Guide
Ecotourism encourages visits to natural areas and preserves. The goal is to do little or no harm to the environment, while supporting local culture and encouraging conservation of the area. Ecotourism guides can find work all over the world...
Evolutionary Biologist
An evolutionary biologist studies the origins and evolution of life and the relationships among Earth’s diverse organisms. Because evolution and evolutionary theory affects every aspect of biology, evolutionary biologists can focus their research on subjects as diverse as living bacteria,...
Farm Manager
A farm manager oversees all of the activities of a farm. There are farms that grow crops, farms that raise livestock, and also farms that raise fish, shrimp, and other aquatic life. Whatever the organism may be, a farm...
Forester
Forestry is the study and management of forests. Foresters can study the ecology and health of forests for research and academic purposes, or they can be involved in appraising and procuring sections of forests for the timber industry. Foresters...
Landscape Architect
A landscape architect designs outdoor spaces that incorporate nature and serve the needs of people. New York’s Central Park is an early example of landscape architecture. It combines trees, gardens, rock formations, humanmade ponds, fountains, bike paths, sidewalks, and...
Marine Biologist
Marine biologists study life in the seas. Subjects of research include fisheries biology, marine mammals, marine plants and algae, coral reefs, deep-sea communities, zooplankton, and many more. This field is vast and growing, but it is also one of...
Nature Photographer
Capturing an image of a leaping great white shark or a falcon soaring over a mountain range can require a great deal of luck and a lot of waiting, but it also requires skill and experience. You don’t need...
Oceanographer
An oceanographer studies the physical processes that occur in the sea. Oceanography includes marine chemistry, marine geology, physics, and biology. Physical oceanography is the study of the sea’s interactions with the atmosphere and Earth, including tides, weather, and climate....
Paleontologist
Paleontologists study the fossil record to better understand evolution, the biology of long-extinct species, and what life on Earth was like in the past. Paleontology is a broad field of science, and requires knowledge in all major sciences: physics,...
Pharmacist
A pharmacist dispenses medications prescribed to patients by a physician. To be a pharmacist, you must have at least two years of college, preferably in the natural sciences. This is followed by four years at an accredited college of...
Research Engineer
An engineer who works with drugs, medical devices, and genetically-modified (GM) foods for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests these products and reviews data to make sure they are safe and effective. For example, a food engineer might...
Science Editor
Science editors assign, review, and edit science writing. They work in the news media, book publishing, television production, healthcare, documentary filmmaking, and many other fields. A science editor must have a strong background in science as well as a...
Science Writer
The job of a science writer is to put science in a language that a general audience can understand and enjoy. Science writers’ works appear in general interest magazines, newspapers, textbooks, websites, radio programs, television shows, and much more....