Hi:
> 1. Can I please have your name, place of employment, and how many years you have been employed.
Phil Clapham, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543.
Been here for three years.
> 2. Did you have to relocate or change jobs at all to have your current position?
Yes; was previously at the Smothsonian Institution in Washington DC.
> 3. What education is required for the position? And which college did you attend?
PhD in biology. University of Aberdeen (Scotland).
> 4. How much did your education cost you?
I don't recall, but it was probably cheaper in Scotland than it would
have been here. Somewhere in the $10,000+ range, I would guess.
> 5. What are your job resposibilities?
I oversee research on large whales, notably as it relates to management
problems faced by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. I direct
research, fund research by other institutions, conduct field work and
analyses of data, and write scientific papers, as well as making
science-based recommendations to the management side of the agency.
> 6. Do you feel that this career is financially rewarding?
Yes now (I've been in the field 20 years), but it wasn't for a very long
time. People in this field do it because they love the work, not to
make money.
> 7. Do you recieve any additional bonuses where you are employed?
Occasionally.
> 8. What do you feel are the benefits and weaknesses of your career choice?
Weaknesses are that - for people beginning in the marine mammal field -
there is much competition for few jobs, and the pay is not good until
you're established in the field (and even then not so good for many
people). Benefits: fascinating work, constantly intellectually
challenging, and working with some terrific animals in wonderful
locations.
> 9. Would you recommend a young person to pursue this career choice?
Absolutely. if they have an interest and a passion for the work and
what it involves, they should do it even though it's hard to persevere
and they wont make much money at it for a long time. If I had to go
back 20 years and pick a career all over again, I'd still pick this one.
> 10. Do you have a personal resume I could include in my report? (this is optional)
Will send separately.
> 11. Finally, my teacher will be getting in contact with the person that the students interviewed, so is there a telephone number you would be able to include?
Listed below.
Hope this helps!
Phil Clapham
--Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Large Whale Biology Program Northeast Fisheries Science Center 166 Water Street Woods Hole, MA 02543
tel (508) 495-2316 fax (508) 495-2258 Internet: phillip.clapham@noaa.gov
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