Profile of a Sea Biologist

At low tide, when the sea pulls back and leaves a shining landscape of rocks and pools, Dr Amara Okoye is usually already there, wearing rubber boots and holding a notebook. For her, this is the best time of day. "The shore is like a library that is only open for a few hours," she says.

At low tide, when the sea pulls back and leaves a shining landscape of rocks and pools, Dr Amara Okoye is usually already there, wearing rubber boots and holding a notebook. For her, this is the best time of day. "The shore is like a library that is only open for a few hours," she says.

Amara, 38, is a marine biologist who studies how small coastal animals, such as crabs, shells and sea stars, react to changes in water temperature. She grew up in a city far from the sea, and her first view of the ocean, at the age of twelve, was during a school trip. "I stood there for an hour," she remembers. "My teacher had to call me three times."

Amara, 38, is a marine biologist who studies how small coastal animals, such as crabs, shells and sea stars, react to changes in water temperature. She grew up in a city far from the sea, and her first view of the ocean, at the age of twelve, was during a school trip. "I stood there for an hour," she remembers. "My teacher had to call me three times."

After completing her degree, she spent two years working on a research ship before settling in a small fishing village, where she now leads a team of six scientists. Their work is slow and patient. Each month they count the animals in the same pools and record the temperature, and over the years this has produced a valuable picture of how the coast is changing. So far, they have noticed that some species are moving to cooler areas, while others are becoming rarer.

After completing her degree, she spent two years working on a research ship before settling in a small fishing village, where she now leads a team of six scientists. Their work is slow and patient. Each month they count the animals in the same pools and record the temperature, and over the years this has produced a valuable picture of how the coast is changing. So far, they have noticed that some species are moving to cooler areas, while others are becoming rarer.

Despite the serious nature of her research, Amara is far from gloomy. She believes that people protect only what they understand, and so she spends one afternoon a week at the village school. Her lessons are practical: the children walk down to the shore, search the pools and draw what they find. Some of them have discovered species that were new to the project’s records. "Children notice details that adults overlook," she says. "They are my best assistants."

Despite the serious nature of her research, Amara is far from gloomy. She believes that people protect only what they understand, and so she spends one afternoon a week at the village school. Her lessons are practical: the children walk down to the shore, search the pools and draw what they find. Some of them have discovered species that were new to the project’s records. "Children notice details that adults overlook," she says. "They are my best assistants."

Amara admits that her job has disadvantages. The pay is modest, the weather is often miserable, and funding for projects is never certain. She has also learnt to live with the smell of seaweed in her car. Yet she cannot imagine doing anything else.

Amara admits that her job has disadvantages. The pay is modest, the weather is often miserable, and funding for projects is never certain. She has also learnt to live with the smell of seaweed in her car. Yet she cannot imagine doing anything else.

In her free time she swims, bakes bread and plays the guitar badly, as she cheerfully admits. Her plan for the next few years is to expand her project to three other countries, so that scientists can compare data from different coasts. "The sea connects everything," she says. "It would be strange if we studied it separately."

In her free time she swims, bakes bread and plays the guitar badly, as she cheerfully admits. Her plan for the next few years is to expand her project to three other countries, so that scientists can compare data from different coasts. "The sea connects everything," she says. "It would be strange if we studied it separately."