Marine Biology

Marine biology at the University of Exeter benefits from the university's outstanding research culture and its deep engagement with the marine environment in a region with extraordinary coastal and ocean resources. The lecturers are researchers active at the forefront of their fields, and students benefit from learning from scientists whose own work shapes the discipline, whether in marine ecology, oceanography, conservation biology, or the physiology of marine organisms.

This three-year full-time programme develops your understanding of the biology of marine organisms and the ecosystems they inhabit, from the microscopic world of marine plankton to the ecology of coral reefs and deep-sea communities. You will study marine ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, oceanography, and the applied conservation science that is increasingly urgent as human impacts on the ocean intensify. Laboratory and field skills are developed throughout, preparing you to conduct rigorous scientific investigation in the marine environment as well as in the laboratory.

Exeter's location in the South West of England gives you access to some of the UK's most interesting and biodiverse coastal waters and marine research facilities. The programme develops both the scientific rigour and the practical competence that marine biology employers and postgraduate programmes look for.

Graduates from marine biology programmes at a research-active university like Exeter go on to careers in conservation, environmental management, fisheries science, oceanographic research, aquaculture, environmental consultancy, and education. Many continue to postgraduate research, including PhD study, which is a common route for those who wish to pursue academic or senior research careers. Further study options include master's degrees in marine science, oceanography, and conservation biology.