Study Marine Science at Otago

José Trujillo:

Hello, I’m José Trujillo. I’m a PhD student at the Marine Science Department, looking at behavioural ecology in young sharks.

Studying at Otago gave me the opportunity to do research with sharks in French Polynesia at a level that I couldn’t have imagined before. I think it was the very supportive environment that made me feel that my ideas were important and that my project matters. That, to me, is the number one reason to choose Otago over other universities.

Dr Bridie Allan:

Hi, I’m Bridie Allan. I’m a lecturer here at the University of Otago in the Department of Marine Science.

I hear you’re thinking about taking Marine Science. Marine Science is a multidisciplinary area of research and study. Essentially, that means marine scientists work across a number of different disciplines to understand how the marine environment is working.

Why is Otago such a great place to study Marine Science? There are two key reasons.

The first is that we are incredibly well equipped to study the marine environment. We have the Southern Ocean on our doorstep, a world-class marine lab just 30 minutes from the city, and access to a range of different research vessels. We also have study sites on Stewart Island and in Fiordland.

Undergraduates at Otago can expect to take a range of papers, covering everything from the biology and behaviour of marine invertebrates to large charismatic megafauna such as whales. We have a strong focus on fisheries and aquaculture—two really important topics as human populations continue to grow. We also explore physical and biological oceanography, and we study marine ecosystems as a whole through marine ecology.

And I can guarantee you’ll get your hands wet on multiple occasions as you participate in labs at the Portobello Marine Lab and gain valuable research experience on board our research vessels.

Now, I mentioned two reasons. The second is our people.

Our lecturers are dedicated to giving you the best learning experience possible while also being leaders in their own research fields. We have biologists, ecologists, physical oceanographers, chemists, and geologists. I myself am a behavioural ecologist—I study the behaviour of animals in their environment and, importantly, how that behaviour will change under future environmental conditions.

Because of our diverse research expertise, we work in a range of different locations—from Antarctica, the Auckland Islands, New Zealand of course, the South Pacific, and the Great Barrier Reef, which is where I do my research. We study a vast range of organisms, from sea urchin larvae and kelp forests to tropical and temperate fishes like sharks, and of course, whales.

Now more than ever, we need to focus on the marine environment, which faces increasing threats from global warming, ocean acidification, and marine pollution. We want our students here at Otago to work with us towards a more sustainable marine future.

There’s an ocean of opportunities here at Otago studying Marine Science—join us here at Otago to study the marine environment.