Water power: Oceanographers fathom the mysteries of the ocean

Oceanography, the science of the oceans, is of great significance to developing countries. It is the scientific study of all aspects of oceans and aims at finding out more about marine resources. Its purpose is to discover the potential of the sea to meet the demands of modern development.

Oceanography is a multi-disciplinary science which comprises many specialised branches, mainly chemical oceanography, geological oceanography, marine biology and physical oceanography. However, the unifying goal of all scientists in this field is to understand the sea.

What do I have to do?

Oceanographers study marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries.

Multiple disciplines — biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology and physics — are blended in an oceanographer’s study of the world’s oceans and understanding of processes within it.

The work involves collecting samples, conducting surveys and analysing data by using sophisticated equipment for long hours at sea. Oceanographers study the motion and circulation of the ocean waters, their physical and chemical properties, and ascertain how these properties affect coastal areas, the climate and the weather.

Since oceanography is essentially a research-oriented profession, long periods are spent at sea and this involves many challenges and hazards.

What should I study?

Graduation in pure sciences and a postgraduate specialisation in an oceanographic subject are necessary prerequisites for entry in this field.

To commence marine research at the PhD level, one has to get an MSc in basic sciences. The majority of the courses in oceanography are of three years’ duration. They focus on various aspects of the sea, including the inorganic, physical and organic chemistry of the sea, the growth and chemical composition of marine plants and animals, the chemistry of the marine atmosphere and seabed sediments.

Research in the laboratory is supplemented by work at sea. Techniques of exploration, physical oceanic processes, the topography, structure and history of ocean basins, the distribution of marine sediments, the dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere, and the ecology and economic value of marine organisms and minerals are also studied.

What next?

Career opportunities for oceanographers are vast as well as varied. Those with the right qualifications can apply to companies in the private sector that have interests relating to marine products or research, public sector organisations such as Oil India and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and government establishments, including the Geological Survey of India and the Meteorological Survey of India.

Considering the importance of the ocean in the national economy, a department of ocean development was created in July 1981 by the Indian government to promote ocean development activities.

The government has established three institutions — the National Institute of Ocean Technology in Chennai for developing technology relevant to the ocean sector, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services in Hyderabad for generating ocean data products and for their dissemination, and the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research in Vasco.

As per the fifth round of the new exploration licencing policy, the Indian government has signed production sharing contracts with seven foreign and seven Indian companies for 18 oil and gas exploration blocks.

Increased awareness regarding marine resources has created a demand for ocean specialists who have the ability to predict its future conditions.

Environmental services, including those related to various marine industries, are required in India to support marine activities like weather forecasting, the survey charting of coastal waters and continental shelves, the maintenance of archives on marine data and geophysical investigations. Public education and marine recreation, along with science journalism, are other areas of opportunity.

where to study

National Institute of Oceanography, Goa.
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi.
Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, Karnataka.
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar.