Marine Resource Economist

Every industry in every part of the world affects the economy in one way or another. Some industries employ thousands of workers, while others make products that people spend money on. One business that is making waves in the economy is the marine industry, which makes a Marine Resource Economist a promising career choice.

As a Marine Resource Economist, you are interested in the ways fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal land use affect the economy. At first glance, it might seem impractical to focus on marine activities. But on closer inspection, you’ll see as a Marine Resource Economist that recreational activities such as camping and boating bring money, and are economically viable on many levels, including local, county, private, state, and federal. Fisheries and aquaculture farms also provide jobs, restock fish populations for weekend fishing, and increase food supply.

In this position, you take all these factors into account as you research ways to conserve natural resources, manage populations of fish and other marine life, and balance the number of jobs with a healthy amount of production. You also study the economic effects of an oil spill, oil production, or marine pollution. After all, any of those events cause damage to marine life and coastal sands, in turn affecting food supply and the influx of tourist dollars.

Your findings might be published in trade journals or news reports, helping people to gain a more global view of local activities. Or they can be used to improve policies and practices pertaining to marine resources.