Marine biology concerns the study of marine life in the ocean as well as in saltwater environments such as wetlands, estuaries, creeks, bays, and inlets. Marine biologists study plants, animals, and the water itself in order to better understand the relationship between organisms and their environment.

Ireland is an island to the north-west of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth. To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea.

A bachelor’s degree is a four-year undergraduate degree and is the standard for higher education throughout most of the world. Bachelor’s degrees can be earned at state universities, at private universities, at community colleges and via online universities.