Biological Oceanography

Marine animals, marine plants and humans have one thing in common: They use the ocean either as a habitat or as a valuable resource. Nevertheless, the ocean is the largest and largely unknown habitat on earth, which still contains many new discoveries and is of great importance for the function of the entire earth system. It is also becoming increasingly interesting as a resource for many different services and products, for which appropriate technologies must be developed. The increasing human use of the oceans leads directly and indirectly to serious changes in the marine environment, with far-reaching consequences for the entire ecosystem and for society. At the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) you can study the natural system of the ocean, its usage potential and its changes in the field of Biological Oceanography as a single-subject master’s degree. The language of instruction is English. The course enables you to master complex tasks and research questions in biological oceanography. You will learn to develop an understanding of the natural ecosystem of the ocean. In addition, you acquire the necessary basics to recognize possible changes in the living communities. In addition to interdisciplinary content, you will also get to know the neighboring marine studies subjects in order to be able to work on complex research topics. In addition, you will learn methodical skills in both the analysis and the critical interpretation of data. Additional courses on interdisciplinary teamwork or the communication of scientific content train you in important key skills. The aim is to make you competitive on the international job market. With this goal in mind, you can expect a basic introduction to oceanography and fish economics. This includes fields of work such as maritime environmental monitoring. You set your priorities in the increasing human use of the sea or in the possible changes in the ecosystem of the ocean. To do this, you will learn methods of investigation, prognosis, avoidance and adaptation. The course enables you to start your career in marine science institutes and universities, in maritime environmental monitoring, in environmental management, in the private sector (e.g. maritime technology, food industry and pharmaceuticals) or in science journalism.