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Master
Vergelijk
Biological Sciences: Freshwater & Marine Biology (track)

Laura Misker

Junior Ecological Consultant

This track is especially good if you have a knack for scuba diving and want to combine that with gaining a lot of experience in underwater research. It is also very appealing that you get to spend a lot of time abroad, if you wish to do so.
  • Current position: Junior Ecological Consultant 
  • Employer: Ecoloog op Maat 
  • Master’s programme and specialisation: Freshwater & Marine Biology 

Pursue the subjects you like 

After completing my bachelor’s degree in biology (2016-2019) I chose to keep going on the FMB masters track (2019-2022). The Master’s degree FMB was a really fun experience! The courses are interesting, the people are nice, and you get a lot of space to pursue subjects that you like.  

The track covers a broad range of both aquatic and marine ecosystems, zooming in on the fragility of these systems, and it teaches us how to use research to uncover answers to our many questions (though these usually yield even more questions!).  

This track is especially good if you have a knack for scuba diving and want to combine that with gaining a lot of experience in underwater research. It is also very appealing that you get to spend a lot of time abroad, if you wish to do so. All in all, a very cool track and I would do it all over again.

Critical thinking 

What is good to keep in mind though, as you read this, is that the Covid Pandemic hit us in the second half of my first year (March 2020). This meant that both my options and career choices were influenced by this, to a certain degree. After finishing my master’s degree COVID was still prevalent.  

It was difficult for me to find a job in the Netherlands at the time and did not want to pursue a PhD track after I had applied for a few. I decided against continuing my career in science and opted for a fresh start. I worked for an engineering firm (Stantec B.V.) in Delft for 1.5 years as a consultant and applied critical thinking I acquired during my master’s degree. In the meantime, I kept an eye out for a job in ecology.

Spending days outside doing fieldwork 

Through a friend I heard Ecoloog op Maat was searching to expand by taking on a fulltime employee and I got this job last June. So, I currently work fulltime as an ecological consultant! I started off by doing a lot of bat surveys and experienced finding by first bat colony this season.  

Now you might think, but Laura where is the water in this job?  We handle a broad range of projects and, as the company expands, will likely be taking on aquatic projects in due time as well. I get to spend days outside doing fieldwork and get to grow within a very young and dynamic company, so there’s plenty to do! 

If I had any tips for our fledgeling-scientists out there who still need to pick a course of action: pick something you enjoy learning about, and everything will be alright.