This could be anywhere near the coasts. Oceanography centres, laboratories, aquariums, and research boats and vessels are some of the possibilities for field workplaces. It would not be unusual to find a marine biology graduate working in a tide pool, a swamp, a mangrove forest, a coral reef, or any place on earth that supports marine life. Travel to interesting places is one of the possible perks for a career in marine biology.

Laboratory work could involve working directly with the federal government, or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or on behalf of a university's research program. Virtually every body of salt water on the planet is being studied by marine biologists, from the Caribbean Seas to the Arctic Ocean. Nonprofit organizations are also a major employer for marine biology graduates, since they fund studies and research projects for commercial products. Drug companies conduct marine research as well; marine life is often at the cutting edge of research.