EDUCATION AND CAREERS
Explore education and career resources from the Society for Marine Mammalogy, including professional development tools, training opportunities, and guidance for students and early-career scientists. Discover pathways to build skills, connect with experts, and advance in marine mammal science.
EDUCATION AND CAREERS
Explore education and career resources from the Society for Marine Mammalogy, including professional development tools, training opportunities, and guidance for students and early-career scientists. Discover pathways to build skills, connect with experts, and advance in marine mammal science.
Land Based Observation – Taiwan 2007 / © Shiva Jian Javdan
The Society for Marine Mammalogy supports students and professionals at all stages of their careers by providing resources, guidance, and opportunities for growth in marine mammal science. From training and mentorship to networking, workshops, and career development tools, these programs are designed to help build skills, expand professional connections, and navigate diverse career pathways in research, conservation, education, and management. Together, they reflect the Society’s commitment to advancing marine mammal science and strengthening its global community.
SGIAR Winners – 2025 © SMM
CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITES
Explore current job openings, internships, fellowships, and volunteer opportunities in marine mammal science. This resource connects students, early-career scientists, and professionals with opportunities across research, conservation, education, management, and related fields. Learn how to submit a posting, review job board guidelines, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
SMM STUDENT CHAPTERS
SMM Student Chapters are locally organized groups that connect students with a shared interest in marine mammal science. They provide opportunities to build community, develop professional skills, and engage with peers through networking, events, and collaborative activities. Chapters often host seminars, workshops, outreach initiatives, and informal gatherings that support both academic and career development.
Open to students at all stages, Student Chapters foster inclusive and supportive environments where members can exchange ideas, explore research interests, and gain practical experience. Whether regionally based or locally focused, each chapter reflects the needs and energy of its members while contributing to a global network of emerging marine mammal scientists.
© Pexels / Noah Munivez
INTERVIEWS WITH MARINE MAMMAL SCIENTISTS
Explore the journeys and experiences of marine mammal scientists from around the world through this interview series. Hear directly from researchers as they share their career paths, challenges, successes, and perspectives on the future of marine mammal science.
Featuring scientists from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, these interviews highlight the many pathways into the field and celebrate the global voices that make up our community. Videos are available in multiple languages, reflecting the diversity of marine mammal science and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
Watch a selection of featured interviews below, or explore the full collection of interviews.
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE
GERMAN
HOW TO BUILD A MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE COURSE
Marine mammal science is a dynamic and engaging field that plays an important role in education and conservation. This resource offers a practical framework to help practitioners design effective and engaging outreach, grounded in key teaching principles.
We’ve created a checklist to help guide you! Use this checklist to strengthen your approach, connect with audiences, and deliver impactful marine mammal science education.
© Cara Gallagher
HOW TO BECOME A MARINE MAMMAL SCIENTIST
Curious about a career studying whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals? Explore the many paths that can lead to a career in marine mammal science. This guide provides an introduction to the skills, education, experiences, and opportunities that can help you take the next steps—from building a strong foundation in science to gaining hands-on experience and connecting with the marine mammal research community.
Whether you are just starting to explore this field or looking to advance your career, discover the journey of becoming a marine mammal scientist and find resources to help guide your way.
© Cara Gallagher
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
The following is a continuously evolving collection of resources designed to support both current and prospective students in marine mammal science. It brings together useful links, tools, and information to help guide learning, career exploration, and professional development within the field.
We welcome contributions to keep this resource as comprehensive and up to date as possible. If you have suggestions for additional links, updates, or improvements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and share them with us.
The following links provide advice on how to pursue a career in the marine sciences:
- How to Become a Marine Mammal Scientist
- How to Design a Marine Mammal Science Course
- A dose of inspiration, read through the text of a presentation SMM Past President Dr. John Reynolds made at the 1999 Student Affairs Workshop entitled “Surviving professional puberty in marine mammalogy: things mom and dad didn’t tell you.”
- Monterey Bay Aquarium – Teen Career Resources
- Sea Grant – Interested in a Career in the Marine Sciences?
- Sea World / Busch Gardens – Zoological Park Careers
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center – NOAA Fisheries Service – Careers in Marine Biology
- College of Charleston (Charleston, SC)
- Duke University Marine Lab (Beaufort, NC)
- Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS)
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (Moss Landing, CA)
- Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
- Scripps Institute of Oceanography (La Jolla, CA)
- Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)
- Texas A&M University at Galveston (Galveston, TX)
- University of Alaska (Fairbanks, AK)
- University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
- University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu, HI)
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
- University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa)
- University of St. Andrews, Sea Mammal Research Unit (St. Andrews, Scotland)
- University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Woods Hole, MA)
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association (USA)
- British Columbia Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program (Canada)
- ACOREMA (Peru)
- Center for Coastal Studies (USA)
- Cetacean Alliance (Global)
- Organización para la Conservación de Cetáceos/ OCC Uruguay
- CIRCE – Conservation, Information, and Research on Cetaceans (Spain)
- Eutropia (Chile)
- Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center (Israel)
- Johnstone Strait Killer Whale Interpretive Centre Society (Canada)
- Marine Mammal Center (USA)
- Oceanographic Environmental Research Society (Canada)
- Pro Delphinus (Peru)
- The Dolphin Institute (USA)
- The Dolphins of Monkey Mia Research Foundation (Australia)
- The Oceania Project (Australia)
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (Global)
- Whales of Guerrero Research Project (Mexico)
- Biowaves
- Cascadia Research Collective
- Cetacean Science at Dalhousie University
- Elephant Seal Research Group
- Far East Russia Orca Project
- Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India
- Marine Mammal Research Unit of the University of British Columbia
- Mammal Research Institute of the University of Pretoria
- Marine Zoology Unit at the University of Valencia, Spain
- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA)
- Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute
- Russian Far East Marine Mammal Research Program
- Acoustical Society of America
- American Cetacean Society
- American Society of Mammalogy
- Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- Ecological Society of America
- European Cetacean Society
- European Association for Aquatic Mammals
- International Association Aquatic Animal Medicine
- International Marine Mammal Trainers Association
- International Whaling Commission
- Sociedad Mexicana de Mastozoología Marina (SOMEMMA)
- Society for Conservation Biology
- Society for Marine Mammalogy
- The Atlas of Canada (Digital on-line database)
- Blender (Creates virtual models, animations, etc.)
- Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network (Database for finding such tools)
- FinBase (Photo-identification database and mapping tool)
- GIS Software Applications (A list of 30; some free, some not)
- Happywhale (Fluke catalog, automated recognition and matching)
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Toolbox
- OBIS-SEAMAP (Ocean Biogeographic Information System – Spatial Ecological Analysis of Megavertebrate Populations)
- Open Office (Similar to MS Office but free)
- Program MARK (Mark-recapture software)
- Program R (Statistical computing and graphics)
- Raven Lite (Interactive sound analysis software)
- Quantum GIS (Open source GIS package)
- XBAT (Extensible bioacoustic tool)
- cetaceanhabitat.org (Marine Protected Area resource)
- COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)
- IMARPE (Instituto del Mar del Perú)
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- MARMAM (Marine Mammal Research and Conservation E-mail List)
- Whale and Dolphin Information On-line (Compiled by The Oceania Project)
- Whalefish: (Promotes research and funding opportunities within the marine science community)