- Oceanography Careers
- Research Projects
- Info Sources
- Career Ctr/Indiv Assistance
- NW WaterWork
Oceanographers are predominantly employed in research, both pure and applied, seeking to produce a new understanding of an ocean system and to explore the potential consequences of human activities on the marine environment. They are involved in sample and data collection, their analyses and interpretation, and preparation and dissemination of the results. Oceanographers work at sea, on land, in laboratories, and at computers.
The School of Oceanography is not limited to those who desire a career in research. Our department provides a wonderful place for any student seeking a small-class environment with a diverse, world-class faculty. Most of the core required classes have only a few dozen students, and more specialized courses have even fewer. The School also offers the chance to explore a wide variety of subjects all centered around the earth's most precious resource: water. Our graduates have acquired problem-solving skills that lead them to successful careers in business, computer science and law. Our alumni are well connected to the School and provide the best advertisement for the high-quality education they received.
The profession may be entered with a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral degree -- the more advanced the degree, the greater the level of responsibility for initiating, designing, and executing a scientific research project. A degree in oceanography can also serve as a background for a career in teaching, administration, marine affairs, environmental studies, production, inspection, computing, instrumentation development, and statistical analysis.
Most oceanographers are employed in educational and research institutions. Another large percentage is employed by federal government agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Coast Guard, and National Marine Fisheries Service. Other employers include state and local governments in coastal areas and independent consulting firms doing research for private companies and government agencies. Additional positions are available in research and development for companies extracting and harvesting the ocean's resources.
An oceanographer's duties are diverse, dictated by the chosen profession. Data are most often collected at sea or from inland waters, but are usually processed and analyzed in laboratories and offices, often involving the use of highly-specialized instruments and computers. Oceanographers experience the exhilaration and rigors of new discoveries made at sea, and return to home port for months of data processing, computer programming, analysis, writing, budgeting, planning, and conferring. The work is both rewarding and tedious, fascinating and frustrating. For example, a recent 24-day oceanographic cruise sailed from Panama to look at the relationship of the cycling of carbon and trace metals and biological productivity in the upper ocean. It included two equator crossings and an excursion to the Galapagos Islands. Plankton and chemical samples were collected at four stations. Six oceanographers will work at least nine months on the data processing, chemical analysis, and publication preparation to produce the final results.
Career opportunities are open to both women and men. Eighty-six percent of our recent graduates are employed in oceanography or related fields, or are pursuing graduate studies. As most oceanographers are employed in the public sector, pay scales reflect current compensation rates for scientists.
Oceanographers often travel around the world as part of their research or its dissemination. They express a high degree of job satisfaction.
Research projects are as varied as an oceanographer's responsibilities. During a life-time career one will be involved in many different projects, often several simultaneously. An oceanographer may be called upon to:
Examine the effects of pollutants on marine life
Analyze volcanological data from actively spreading mid-ocean ridges
Assess the feasibility of mineral and chemical extraction from the ocean
Explore the microbiology of hydrothermal vents in a deep-sea submersible
Relate the upper-ocean heat layers to climate variability
Predict dispersion patterns for a proposed effluent discharge system
Search for environmental technology to remove toxic contaminants
Monitor water quality in Puget Sound
Study paleoclimate variation by calibrating coral reef geochemical tracers
Establish baseline sediment dispersal in the Amazon River Delta
Create a computer model of conditions affecting zooplankton abundances
Interpret phytoplankton pigment variation from satellite data
Conduct seismic experiments on plate boundaries
Research the effects of development on beaches, bays, and estuaries
Investigate the cycling of carbon in the Amazon River
Develop mathematical models of feeding strategies of benthic animals
Design in situ probes for monitoring deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Determine the effects of ice-related erosion on the Great Lakes coastline
Model numerically a large-scale ocean circulation system
Utilize satellite imagery to assess formation of ice in the Arctic Ocean
Investigate the role of toxic diatoms in shellfish poisoning
Document the role of methane and other gases in global climate change
Introductory Oceanography Textbooks:
"An Introduction to the World's Oceans", by Alyn C. and Alison Duxbury. WCB/McGraw-Hill, 1996.
"Oceanography, A View of the Earth", by M. Grant Gross. Prentice-Hall, 1995.
"Introductory Oceanography", by Harold V. Thurman. Charles Merrill, 1990.
Literature:
"Our Home Planet: A Guide for Secondary School Students". The American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. No charge.
"Careers in Oceanography and Marine-Related Fields". The Oceanography Society, 4052 Timber Ridge Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (804) 464-1759. No charge.
"Information on Undergraduate Programs in or Related to Oceanography and Marine Sciences". North Carolina State University, Department of Marine, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27695-8208. (919) 515-3711. No Charge.
"University Curricula in Oceanography and Related Fields". Marine Technology Society, 1825 K Street N.W., Suite 203, Washington, D.C. 20006.
"Ocean Opportunities: A Guide to What the Oceans Have to Offer." Marine Technology Society, 1825 K Street N.W., Suite 203, Washington, D.C. 20006. $3.00.
Career information on the web:
Periodicals:
"Oceanus". Subscriber Service Center, P.O. Box 6419, Syracuse, NY 13217-6419.
"Sea Frontiers". P.O. Box 498, Mount Morris, IL 61054.
"Nature". Subscription Department, P.O. Box 1733, Riverton, NJ 08077-7333.
Books for young people:
"Exploring the Sea: Oceanography Today", by Carvel Hall Blair. Random House, 1986.
University of Washington catalogue:
Copies are available for perusal at public and college libraries, or you may order a copy from: University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 (206-634-3400). Catalogs are $3.75 at the Store, $5.50 for mailing outside Washington State, and $5.92 within Washington. The catalog is also web-accesible from the UW home page.
Feel free to visit the career center library, which includes employment, general company, and career planning information. There is a computer (with email access), laser printer, and typewriter.
Room 207, Ocean Sciences Building
(1492 N. E. Boat St.)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-12 noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
The College offers workshops on resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and salary negotiation.
For individual assistance, please contact:
Linda R. Scheidt, Program Support Supervisor, College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences,
207 Ocean Sciences Building
Email: lscheidt@cofs.washington.edu
Phone: (206) 543-0719, (206) 543-6605; Fax: (206) 543-6393
Mailing Address: Box 355350, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5350
Northwest WaterWork focuses on water-related positions in the Pacific Northwest in aquatic and fishery sciences, oceanography, and marine affairs.
Northwest WaterWork employment listings may be seen at http://www.cofs.washington.edu/JLS