Physical Danger
The hazards of a research marine biologist are pretty obvious, yet we'll still spell them out for you: S-H-A-R-K-A-T-T-A-C-K. Sorry, we just had to.
The ocean can be a scary place with unknown creatures lurking in your shadows and ready to bolt and bite or sting at any moment. It's probably best to keep a vial of urine in your wet suit just in case that jellyfish gets you. Because marine biologists collect their samples in the water, drowning is always a distinct possibility, too (unless, of course, you're wearing your floaties). To be completely honest, the most frightening hazard on the job is wetsuit wedgies. There's no cure for that, so tread carefully.