What is Oceanography?

Oceanography is an interdisciplinary course that deals with the study of the ocean which ranges from the coastal regions to the deepest trenches in the world including the study of the sea bed and even underwater volcanic eruptions. This field of study lets a person interested in science learn about 71% of the Earth and covers subjects from other fields like meteorology, geophysics, and ocean engineering where students can traverse through chemistry, geology, biology, and all other factors that affect the ocean.

Working as an Oceanographer is a high-paying job that is apt for people who have a strong liking for an adventurous lifestyle that takes them away from 9 to 5 office jobs. At the same time, the tasks they have to face cannot be taken lightly since their travels are often always filled with danger and uncomfortable locations since they might most often be always at sea.

Candidates who opt for the job will have the opportunity to study the ocean which is still a vastly unexplored area and also deal with problems like climate change, pollution, the role of the ocean in waste management on land, and other factors that cause distress to marine life.

Why Study Oceanography?

Studying Oceanography is one of those options that people who are interested in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics all at once can do especially if they prefer hands-on research on topics rather than pure textbook-based approaches. But attempting to study Oceanography is a long-term commitment since candidates who have completed a bachelor’s degree in Oceanography will still have to study forward and take a Master’s and Ph.D. in the subject in order to receive the handsome paychecks that Oceanographers generally receive.

Despite the commitment, studying the subject offers a deeper insight into the problems of the ocean which are mostly man-made and require immediate attention. This includes studying the pollutants and waste disposal arrangements of most of the world which have been affecting the oceans adversely. In a way, Oceanographers are the safe keepers of the ocean and the job will offer the candidate a life of adventure far removed from the mundane tasks of on-land jobs.

In short, the job as an Oceanographer offers enough and more pay for the adventures the candidates have to take and as a bonus, they will be able to learn more about what affects the world and how the resources from the ocean can be sustainably used.

Different Types of Oceanography

Oceanography has a total of four branches which often overlap each other in the study but have been categorized for enabling compartmentalized learning of the same due to the vastness of the subject. The four categories are-

• Physical Oceanography- This section deals with the study of the physical properties of the ocean including waves, temperature, pressure, and ocean energy.
• Chemical Oceanography- This section deals with the study of the chemical composition of the ocean water including concepts like ocean acidification and the impact it has on marine life.
• Marine Geology- This section deals with the study of geological aspects like the structure of the coastal margins and the seafloor along with underwater trenches, volcanoes, and vents and the impact of life around it.
• Marine Ecology- This section focuses on the biological aspects of the ocean and mainly deals with all marine life including the way they interact with their environment and other marine life.

Educational Qualification for an Oceanographer

In order to become an Oceanographer, students will have to take their Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography of any of the basic sciences which can initiate them into the field. At the same time, it is necessary that students have an understanding of basic math and science which can aid them in their endeavor.

Once they have taken their bachelor’s degree in oceanography, biology, physics, geology, marine geology, or chemistry they will be able to take up internships that can give them experience in the field before they can enter research. Students can focus their major or minor in subjects like hydrology, environmental, or geoscience in order to learn more about the field they are entering and as an extra bonus on their resume.

It is while entering the research area that students get to choose their specialization depending on their area of interest. Most colleges have specializations in research based on the four types of Oceanography. The schools that offer degree programs in Oceanography are way less when compared to schools that offer research courses and hence students often take courses only in basic sciences while taking up other related minor courses before moving on to their Ph.D.

Top-10 Best Graduate Schools for Oceanography

The number of colleges offering a Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography is less compared to the colleges offering graduate programs in the same subject. This list of graduate schools has the top-most graduate programs in Oceanography that the country has seen and though the list keeps changing in order according to the yearly progress the colleges make, these colleges often always make the list of the best due to their reputation, the different programs they offer and their student to faculty ratio.

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Pennsylvania State University
• California Institute of Technology
• University of California- San Diego
• Brown University
• Harvard University
• University of California-Berkeley
• Cornell University
• University of Washington- Seattle Campus
• University of Miami

Skills Required to be an Oceanographer

Oceanographers need to have a very specific skill set in order to excel in their field of work since they will be required to do both lab work and fieldwork where the field is technically the ocean under different weather conditions. The basic skills required are-

• Knowledge of Different Disciplines- This field requires every candidate to know about the fields of biology, geology, physics, chemistry, ecology, etc. despite their specialization in one field due to the practical nature of their job and the interdisciplinary nature of their work.
• Lab Skills- Oceanographers, despite their chosen field will have to work in labs to sort out their study and narrow them down into the statistics they have to present in their study. The nature of their lab work changes according to their specialization.
• Research Skills- Although this is an obvious requirement it has to be understood that every journey the Oceanographer undertakes and each experience accounts to research since the candidate is expected to scrutinize the experiences in order to further their study.
• Computer Skills- They have to often have advanced IT skills since most of the time they are required to create models and enter data into their systems after basic research in order to present their ideas.

Other skills they generally require are communication, problem-solving, physical strength, and critical thought all of which are essential for Oceanographers.

Duties of an Oceanographer

Since there are different fields in Oceanography, it might seem like the duties each of them has are drastically different from each other. But despite their specialization, they have common duties to perform with regard to their research.

• Oceanographers have to study ecosystems prevalent in the ocean along with the marine life involved. They have to collect data by finding the species relevant to their study and complete the research based on the data collected.
• Even though the physical aspects of the ocean are studied mainly by Physical Oceanographers, it is necessary that all Oceanographers have a substantial amount of knowledge in the field relating to the waves, ocean energy, etc.
• Collect samples from the ocean which can be from the sea bed or the waters from different parts of the sea that has been affected.
• All of them have to understand and create statistical data from their research and also make models based on them to prove a hypothesis.

Working as an Oceanographer

Oceanographers are the people who study marine life, conduct researches based on the different biological elements in the sea, and also examine the oceans in the different ways they are trained to. The forte of an Oceanographer is in the fieldwork they are required to do which surpasses the number of lab hours and other on-land working hours they have to complete. This provides them with the opportunity of being at sea for the most part of their work.

Though the work has an adventurous streak to it, the dangers associated with the job are plenty since the organisms these researchers have to deal with are often unheard of and the journeys that they take are filled with strenuous physical labor that can put both the researcher and other companions in danger.

The trips they take are all educational experiences that extend their period of education from the time they have graduated to every day they spend working and they are expected to contribute to the scientific society by contributing their studies for the study of others. At the same time, there are also people who after a few years of working in the field come back to settle with a teaching profession in the job.

Salary Specifications of an Oceanographer

Due to the dangers involved in the job and the amount of time they have to spend in cramped spaces while at sea along with the research involved that can benefit society as a whole, this job is a high-paying one. Oceanographers who have taken only their Bachelor’s degree and are working in the government sector in sections like fisheries have a relatively less salary when compared to those who are more qualified.

Oceanographers often get approximately $90,890 every year and this is the amount provided to the researchers who do not generally contribute to the petroleum extraction industry. Those who work for the petroleum extraction industry, if they have an Oceanography degree, generally earn high than even government employees.

More Universities Offering Graduate Programs in Oceanography

While studying Oceanography, even though studying at the top universities can offer a better career reach, it is to be understood that this job field is only going to increase in its demand for workers over the years to come. This offers aspirants all the reasons to study for the same through any of the colleges and universities listed below providing them with the adventurous and well-paying career that Oceanography is in reality. The universities are-

• California Institute Technology
• University of California-Berkeley
• Univ of California-San Diego
• University of Chicago
• Princeton University
• University of Texas at Austin
• Johns Hopkins University
• University of Arizona
• University of California-Santa Barbara
• Northwestern University
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Washington
• Arizona State University
• Virginia Polytech Inst & State University
• State University of New York-Stony Brook
• University of Minnesota
• Washington University
• University of California-Davis
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Oregon
• University of Colorado
• Colorado School of Mines
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Duke University
• University of Utah
• Ohio State University
• Indiana University
• University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• Texas A&M University
• Louisiana State U & A&M College
• University of Kansas
• University of Washington
• Oregon State University
• University of Rhode Island
• University of Hawaii at Manoa
• State University of New York-Stony Brook
• University of Maryland College Park
• University of Miami
• Texas A&M University
• Duke University
• University of South Florida
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Old Dominion University
• University of South Carolina
• University of Alaska
• University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Northeastern University