EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
BECOMING A MARINE DATA AND COMMUNICATION EXPERT
Are your students interested in biology? Do they also feel fascinated by technology? Are they good at web development and database skills, and do they have some abilities for teamwork? If they want to become biologists and at the same time they have a big passion for technology, tell them they could become Marine Data and Communication Experts. In general, Marine Data Experts are in charge of bridging the gap between data and science. Meet Francis Strobbe, a Marine Data and Communication Expert.
SKILLS
Find out about the key skills to become a Marine Data and Communication Expert.
Content Management
It’s important to understand the communication strategies to manage content so that it impacts the audiences in an effective way.
Database Administration
Related to the data aspect of the profile, this skill is fundamental to developing the role. Deep knowledge on how to build databases and how they work will turn out in a fruitful career.
User Experience Design
To make data appealing, it’s fundamental to develop user-friendly and intuitive websites, so that every person understand easily where to find specific data..”
Team Player
As a Data and Communication Expert, it’s necessary to be a team player. “It’s important to have a group of people I can rely on and that they can rely on me.”
Adaptability
A fundamental skill is adaptability. “You can do as much as you want, but sometimes things cannot be done for any reason, and you have to accept it and adapt yourself to the situation.”
Presentation Skills
Regarding the communication side of the profile, “I like to make presentations that look good, even if it’s a PowerPoint. It’s important the attention to the detail.”
Curious to
know more?
Meet Francis Strobbe,
a Marine Data and Communication Expert
Francis Strobbe is a Data and Communication Expert at EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network), a network of organisations that work together to observe the sea, process the data according to international standards and make that information freely available as interoperable data layers and data products. He has a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Leuven University. He also was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation (SEEC) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Besides, he has worked for more than ten years at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS).
In this 20th episode of our STE(A)M IT STEM Careers Podcast, Vanessa James from EUN spoke with Francis Strobbe, a Marine Data and Communication Expert!
Francis told us about what led him to his career, and about his passion for biology when he was a young student: “I have always wanted to become a biologist, it was my favourite subject at school.” He also talks about the skills needed, such as teamwork, accuracy, and web architecture and development. Listen to the whole interview to know his advice to students! Listen to the podcast to find out more!
CC BY 4.0: all the materials and content presented on this STEM Job profile have been provided by STE(A)M IT, a project funded by the European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme project STE(A)M IT (Grant agreement 612845-EPP-1-2019-1- BE-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD), coordinated by European Schoolnet (EUN).
