Oceanography
The major disciplines of oceanography are geological oceanography, physical oceanography and chemical oceanography. Oceanographers and others involved in these disciplines often work together to unravel the mysteries and unknowns of ocean science. In reading about each of these sub-fields, keep in mind that some of the most important oceanographic discoveries have been made as a result of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach, often involving geologists, chemists, biologists, physical oceanographers and engineers.
Marine biology is sometimes called biological oceanography and could be included in this section. We have not done that. One distinction that has been made between the fields of marine biology and biological oceanography is this: marine biologists study the plants, animals and protists of our estuaries, coasts and oceans, ranging from whales to microscopic algae and bacteria, and biological oceanographers study marine organisms and their biological processes within the context of their natural environment.
As a growing global population stresses the ability of our society to produce food, water and shelter, we will continue to look to the oceans to help sustain our basic needs. Advances in technology, combined with demand, will improve our ability to derive food, drinking water, energy sources, waste disposal and transportation from the ocean. It will be up to this and future generations to build upon our existing knowledge of the ocean and its potential to help meet the needs of the world and its inhabitants.
Monique LaFrance, an oceanographer profiled on this website, describes her work as: “Collecting data and figuring out how data relates to each other is like putting together pieces of a puzzle. It is extremely rewarding when you know your work has direct application to an important effort. For me, it is when final habitat maps and findings can be put to good use -- such as contribute to a better understanding of the ecosystem, identify physical-biological relationships, inform management decisions, and further methodologies used in the field of seafloor habitat mapping. I also very much enjoy using ArcGIS mapping and spatial analysis software and being out on research vessels to conduct fieldwork.”