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Dr. Peter J. Edmunds
MY TIME IS SPLIT BETWEEN TWO ACTIVITIES - IT IS LIKE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, BUT RELATED JOBS! DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR, I TEACH CLASSES IN CALIFORNIA, AND DURING THE WINTER (JANUUARY) AND SUMMERS I SPEND SEVERAL WEEKS COMPLETING RESEARCH IN THE CARIBBEAN. MOST OF MY CLASSES IN CALIFORNIA ARE REALLY FUN MARINE-RELATED TOPICS, LIKE INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY AND INVERTEBRATE PHYSIOLOGY, AND MAKE QUITE A FEW FEILD TRIPS TO THE COAST. BEST OF ALL, WE NOW TEACH A 15-WEEK CLASS AT SANTA CATALINE ISLAND WHERE I TEACH INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY WITH A CLASS OF 15-20 STUDENTS AND CAN SNORKEL AND DIVE TO TEACH ABOUT THE CRITTERS! What is your daily job like? AT CSUN, I USUALLY GET TO WORK AT ABOUT 7:15 AM, AND LEAVE ABOUT 5. I
TEACH TWO LONG DAYS, I SPEND ONE DAY WORKING WITH MY GRADUATE STUDENTS,
AND ONE DAY WORKING ON UNIVERSITY TASKS LIKE COMMITTEES. THE FIFTH DAY
I TRY TO HIDE AT HOME AND WORK ON SCIENCE -- PAPERS, What is the most exciting thing about your job? GETTING OUT INTO THE FIELD (I.E., VISITING CORAL REEFS), AND GETTING COLLEGE STUDENTS EXCITED WITH, AND INVOLVED IN, MARINE BIOLOGY. What is the most boring thing about your job? GRADING EXAMS GETS PRETTY TOUGH! I DRINK A LOT OF COFFEE AT THESE TIMES OF THE YEAR! Did you always know you wanted to be a marine biologist (or work around the ocean)? Did you start out wanting to do something else? EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER - I ALWAYS WATCHED COUSTEAU MOVIES AND WANTED TO BE JUST LIKE HIM. Where did you grow up as a child? I GREW UP IN ENGLAND. ALTHOUGH A SMALL COUNTRY IT SEEMS LIKE LIGHT YEARS TO THE OCEAN WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE MIDDLE (OF COURSE, IT IS NOT). S A RESULT, WE TYPICALLY ONLY HAD ONE FAMILY ADVENTURE TO THE OCEAN EVERY YEAR. I LIVE 11/5 MONTHS FOR 2 WEEKS BY THE SEA!
JACQUE COUSTEAU ALWAYS WAS MY ROLE MODEL WHEN I WAS A KID. LTHOUGH NOW I CAN SEE MORE OF WHAT HE IS REALLY LIKE -- WARTS AND ALL -- I STILL ADMIRE WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO FOR MARINE BIOLOGY. ROLE MODELS NOW? THAT'S TOUGH. I PICK SCIENTISTS I ADMIRE WHO DO GREAT STUFF, WHO HAVE TIME TO TALK TO YOU, AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE. What is the coolest thing you have seen underwater? HUNDREDS OF METERS OF BEAUTIFUL CORAL ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA. STUNNING! What is your role in the mission? I AM THE PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR WHICH MEANS I DID MOST OF THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT AND WILL HAVE TO WORK HARD TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER. IT IS A TOUGH JOB BUT VERY EXCITING WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY GOOD EOPLE INVOLVED. THE CHANCE FOR MAJOR ADVANCES IS HIGH AND THAT MAKES IT EXCITING AND REWARDING. What types of special training enable you to participate in this mission? THERE ARE MANY THINGS -- IT IS BEING ABLE TO ASK GOOD SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS, CARRY OUT GOOD SCIENCE, AND BEING WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK IN A PHYSICALLY ARDUOUS ENVIRONMENT OFFSHORE AND UNDERWATER What are you most looking forward to about this mission? WORKING WITH GREAT PEOPLE, WITH GREAT IDEAS, IN A TRULY AWESOME LOCATION. THIS IS "INNER SPACE" AND ABOUT AS CLOSE AS I WILL BECOME TO BEING ANOTHER COUSTAEU! What do you like to do that's not work-related, like hobbies (coin collecting, sky diving, gourmet chef, boating, raising a family, tennis - that sort of thing). AT THE END OF THE DAY AND AT THE WEEKEND, I LIVE TO GET HOME BEFORE IT IS DARK SO I CAN RUN OR RIDE MY MOUNTAIN BIKE IN THE BEAUTIFUL HILLS OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. OTHER THAN THAT I AM ENGAGED IN A LONG BATTLE TO TAME THE VEGETATION IN POUR GARDEN! What advice would you offer to a middle/high school student or undergraduate who wants to be a marine biologist? WORK HARD, MAKE SURE YOU'RE BOOK SMART, MAKE A PLAN FOR YOUR CAREER, PERSEVERE, AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND AMBITIOUS! LEARNING TO DIVE ALSO HELPS...AND BE WILLING TO TRAVEL!
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