In 1844 he passed the exams with distinction and began working as teacher in Seesen, on the northwest edge of the Harz mountain range.

After he graduated, he taught from 1853 to 1868 zoology, botany, mineralogy, geography, physics, and chemistry at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums in Hamburg.

Between 1868 and 1870, Möbius was commissioned by the Ministry of Agricultural Affairs in Prussia to conduct research on the Bay of Kiel oyster beds.

More importantly, he was first to describe in detail the interactions between the different organisms in the ecosystem of the oyster bank, coining the term "biocenose".

Throughout his career, Möbius supported educational institutions such as the Berlin Urania and efforts to spread knowledge about the natural sciences.