Thanks to an epic location in Florida and some amazing faculty
Our Marine Science program gives you one-on-one attention from Ph.D. professors from day one. Studying on Tampa Bay means you’ll be out on the water for four years doing the work that professionals do – and end up taking your pick of jobs and grad schools once you graduate with a marine science degree.
Only@Eckerd
Choose your focus
Select Marine Biology, Marine Chemistry, Marine Geology or Marine Geophysics as your area of specialization within your broader liberal arts education.
Ocean setting
Class is often held in Florida waters off our seawall or on board our own fleet of vessels.
Hands-on research
Our professors attract millions of dollars in research funding, which means you could find yourself doing real research in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Panama or Bermuda.
In Their Own Words
“My words could never convey how important Eckerd is to marine science. There have been so many instances in which the quality of my education has allowed me great success both in my career and personal life. From the waterfront campus, wonderful facilities, research opportunities and hands-on nature of the courses to the devoted faculty who work with each student individually, I cannot imagine a better and more inviting place to study marine science than Eckerd.”
— Benjamin Belgrad ’13
Postdoctoral Researcher (Life Sciences), Texas A & M University
Beyond the Classroom
- Join the NSF-funded “Scientist at Sea” program for research cruise experience, peer mentorship, and learning how to plan, execute and create professional research products.
- Learn field research by doing population surveys of bottlenose dolphins in Boca Ciega Bay with the Eckerd College Dolphin Project.
- Join Eckerd faculty as research assistants on projects in the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, Costa Rica and Panama.
- Spend a summer at the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences thanks to the Galbraith Scholarship, which takes care of all travel and housing, and comes with a stipend.
- There’s no shortage of things to clean in the Gulf of Mexico. Join one of our coastal cleanup projects or volunteer with Tampa Bay Watch.
- Sign up for one of our Alternative Spring Break service trips to orphanages, missions and communities in need in Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico and closer to home.
- Live on board a research vessel, where you’ll do reef habitat monitoring, lionfish research and shark tagging off the coast of Cuba.
- Or study and travel in China, the Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Indonesia, the Bahamas, the Canary Islands in Spain, Australia and many other prime locations.
Sign up for more about Eckerd and our marine science program
Popular classes
Marine and Freshwater Botany
Get wet and dirty studying local marine and freshwater plants, their relationship to each other and to their environment. Field trips.
Coastal Geology
This upper level class takes you to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of Florida to apply what you’ve learned in intro classes. Includes aerial reconnaissance missions.
Facilities
Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory houses laboratory classrooms, aquarium rooms, a marine sediment core facility, an oceanography lab, a computer laboratory and a state-of-the-art auditorium. Our continuous flow-thru sea water system is pumped directly from Tampa Bay to maintain specimens for extensive periods of time.
Our location gives us easy access to a wide variety of marine species in diverse coastal habitats, from sea grass beds to beaches and mangroves.
In addition to our own fleet of teaching vessels moored on campus in our private marina, Marine Science students learn aboard large research vessels owned by the Florida Institute of Oceanography.
Outcomes
What can I do with a marine science degree?
- Aquarium Technician
- Environmental Consultant
- Field Crew Member
- Lab Research Assistant
- Marine Mammal Trainer
- Park Ranger
- Secondary School Teacher
- Wildlife Artist
- Wildlife Specialist
Where our marine science majors go to graduate school
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Emory University
- Northeastern University
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Riverside
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Miami
- Vanderbilt University
Where our marine science majors go to work
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Marine Biological Laboratory
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- NAEVA Geophysics
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
- Peace Corps
- Tampa Bay Research Institute
- World Wildlife Fund
Eckerd College Marine Science news
- Eckerd College junior breaks three Guinness World Records for juggling—then heads back to the marine science lab - July 26, 2023
- Eckerd College marine science professors and students race to help save Florida’s coral reefs and stone crabs - July 21, 2023
- Three Eckerd College alumni played key roles in the release of Coventry the manatee - July 13, 2023
- Eckerd College Marine Science program receives $1 million congressionally directed award - June 16, 2023
- First full cohort of animal studies majors graduates Eckerd College - June 1, 2023
- Eckerd College leads the nation in Hollings Scholarships and just added four more names to the list - April 18, 2023
