A 45-year career in marine science—better than a sharp stick in the eye

Love, Milton S.

doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsaa002

ICES Journal of Marine Science

2020

DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaa002

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A 45-year career in marine science—better than a sharp stick in the eye

Milton S. Love

Abstract: What does it take to have a many-decades-long career in marine science entirely funded by contracts and grants? Why would any thoughtful person contemplate a life filled with such uncertainty? What personality flaws would lead to this behaviour? Enter my world, dear reader, and find out.

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A life in science—a way to conquer your demons (but maybe not the best way)

Hammer

2020

ICES Journal of Marine Science

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A career does not follow a straight path. Determination, decision-making, and focus are essential ingredients, as well as a fair amount of flexibility, especially when one is struggling with contradictory signals. Career planning and the necessary decision-making must be learned however, and this may be particularly difficult when negative outcomes are likely and encouragement is rare. Under such circumstances, finding a job that makes one happy could be considered a noteworthy measure of success. However, even after attaining such a position, many tend to compare their own performance and career development with those of the celebrities in the field. This can only result in frustration and insecurity. Furthermore, success in marine science is generally characterized by metrics, together with the manner in which one’s career has advanced through a series of positions occupied in the zig-zag from student life to retirement. For me, a more personal kind of success has been to overcome the fear of failure that arises through constant comparison of my own performance and achievements with those who are perceived as the best in the field. This might be viewed more as social anxiety than fear as I will explain in this article.

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A life in science—a way to conquer your demons (but maybe not the best way)

Hammer

2020

ICES Journal of Marine Science

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Responses to unexpected events; folk-rock-blues anthems; memes and other non-genetically inherited traits

DeMartini

2022

ICES Journal of Marine Science

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What follows is a look back over a long and productive career and avocation in a field that I love, but one that has also been struck occasionally by personal tragedy, including the loss of my father at an early age, the unexpected death of my beloved wife and life partner in 2010, and a stroke in 2020 that has left me partially disabled. But impactful events can be serendipitous in prompting productive research. The lesson learned by such experiences is that opportunities—and the self-imposed responsibilities—to make positive contributions to the world, and to thereby honor the memories of those lost, continue beyond such events. The lessons I have learned along the way should inspire others at the start of and during their own personal life trajectories, particularly in developing the ability to recognize and appreciate opportunities for mentorship and to inspire emerging scholars and junior researchers to both respond to such opportunities to be mentored and subsequently to be mentors themselves. Everyone, especially students and junior scientists, in particular those who will become resource managers, should realize that they are links in a chain—an important one connecting the past and the future! My goal herein is to use my story to advise students and young scientists, and remind my older colleagues, of the importance of keeping this perspective as they go forward. I have tried to weave this message together with justification for motivation.

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A 45-year career in marine science—better than a sharp stick in the eye

Abstract: What does it take to have a many-decades-long career in marine science entirely funded by contracts and grants? Why would any thoughtful person contemplate a life filled with such uncertainty? What personality flaws would lead to this behaviour? Enter my world, dear reader, and find out.

Cited by 2 publications

References 8 publications

A life in science—a way to conquer your demons (but maybe not the best way)

A life in science—a way to conquer your demons (but maybe not the best way)

Responses to unexpected events; folk-rock-blues anthems; memes and other non-genetically inherited traits

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