What is Oceanography?
BY FARRAH LEONE
According to the Spruce website, this month is “Expanding Girls' Horizons in Science and Engineering Month”. And according to the WOS blog calendar, this month’s topic is also oceanography. I thought I utilize this opportunity to explain the different types of oceanography for anyone thinking of going into the field or switching careers.
So, what’s oceanography?
Oceanography is, “the branch of science that deals with the physical and biological properties and phenomena of the sea.” according to the Oxford dictionary. A famous oceanographer would be Sylvia Earle who’s PhD was studying Phaeophytea in the eastern section in the Gulf of Mexico. She has published over 125 scientific papers and books combined inspired by her astounding 7,000+ hours of underwater research. That is a little under 292 FULL DAYS under water.
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According to NOAA, oceanography can be split into 4 different disciplines. Follow the hyperlinks below for full coverage of the specific studies!
Biological Oceanographers (marine biologists): study how plants and animals interact in their environment
Biologist, Carin Ashjian, studies the impact that rising ocean temperatures might have on food webs. He has noticed how species are being found more north than usual, such as Orca Whales. He states that entire ecosystems may be moving north. This is currently being studied by collecting biweekly data.
Chemical Oceanographers (marine chemists): study the chemical processes that happen in the ocean and how the ocean chemically interacts with the atmosphere and land
Runit Dome is “a bomb crater filled with radioactive soil...on the Marshall Islands” as a result of nuclear warfare testing in WWII. With rising sea levels and leaching, people have been concerned that its presence will contaminate the lagoon. Thankfully, researchers were able to reassure the people that it is less radioactive than Central Park NYC. However, marine radiology expert, Ken Busseler, claims that the severity of radioactivity may change with the impact of climate change.
Geological Oceanographers (marine geologists): study the creation of features on the ocean floor
Scientists at WHOI in 2004 claimed a 9.0 earthquake rose the sea floor several meters and created a tsunami. If that’s not awesome to study, I don’t know what is. The field is equally as dynamic as the shape of the sea floor!
Physical Oceanographers: study the physical conditions in the ocean including waves, tides, erosion, and more
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) and the Applied Physics Lab of University of Washington discovered that white and blue sharks are using eddie’s to bring them into the ocean twilight zone for feeding. Sharks enter the eddie from the side and let it spiral them downward toward their food. Now that is using your resources!
