Oceanographers Feb. 7, 2014

History (revisited)  Oceanography may be one of the newest fields of science, but its roots extend back several tens of thousands of years when people began to venture from their coastlines in rafts.  These first seafaring explorers, navigators and oceanographers began to pay attention to the ocean in many ways. Waves Waves Storms Storms Tides Tides currents currents  They sought fish for food.  They realized that although ocean water didn’t look different from river water, it was salty and undrinkable.  Their experiences and understanding of the oceans were passed down over thousands of years from generation to generation in myths and legends. mythslegends mythslegends

History  2,850 years ago (850 BC) – trying to make sense  Paradigm: World is flat  …but that didn’t stop explorers

History  Modern oceanography began as a field of science only a little less than 130 years ago  Expeditions to explore ocean currents, ocean life, and the seafloor off their coastlines.  The first scientific expedition: Challenger Expedition, from 1872 to 1876, on board the British three-masted warship HMS Challenger.  But modern oceanography really took off less than 60 years ago, during World War II, when the U.S. Navy wanted to learn more about the oceans to gain fighting advantages, especially in submarine warfare.

Dive and Discover  Deeper Discovery Deeper Discovery Deeper Discovery

The Science of Oceanography  Oceanography covers a wide range of topics, including: marine life and ecosystems marine life and ecosystems ocean circulation ocean circulation plate tectonics plate tectonics the geology of the sea floor the geology of the sea floor chemical and physical properties of the ocean. chemical and physical properties of the ocean.

 Just as there are many specialties within the medical field, there are many disciplines within oceanography Biological oceanographers and marine biologists Biological oceanographers and marine biologists Chemical oceanographers and marine chemists Chemical oceanographers and marine chemists Geological oceanographers and marine geologists Geological oceanographers and marine geologists Physical oceanographers Physical oceanographers

Biological Oceanographers  Study plants and animals in the marine environment  They are interested in the numbers of marine organisms and how these organisms develop, relate to one another, adapt to their environment, and interact with it.  To accomplish their work, they may use field observations, computer models, or laboratory and field experiments.

Chemical Oceanographers  Chemical oceanographers and marine chemists study: the composition of seawater the composition of seawater its processes and cycles its processes and cycles the chemical interaction of seawater with the atmosphere and sea floor. the chemical interaction of seawater with the atmosphere and sea floor.  Their work may include analysis of seawater components, the effects of pollutants, and the impacts of chemical processes on marine organisms.  They may also use chemistry to understand how ocean currents move seawater around the globe and how the ocean affects climate or to identify potentially beneficial ocean resources such as natural products that can be used as medicines. medicines

Geological Oceanographers  Explore the ocean floor and the processes that form its mountains, canyons, and valleys.  Through sampling, they look at millions of years of history of sea-floor spreading, plate tectonics, and oceanic circulation and climates.  They also examine volcanic processes, mantle circulation, hydrothermal circulation, magma genesis, and crustal formation.  The results of their work help us understand the processes that created the ocean basins and the interactions between the ocean and the sea floor.

Physical Oceanographers  Physical oceanographers study the physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean such as waves, currents, eddies, gyres and tides; the transport of sand on and off beaches; coastal erosion; and the interactions of the atmosphere and the ocean. eddiesgyreseddiesgyres  They examine deep currents, the ocean- atmosphere relationship that influences weather and climate, the transmission of light and sound through water, and the ocean's interactions with its boundaries at the sea floor and the coast.

 All of these fields are intertwined, and thus all oceanographers must have a keen understanding of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to unravel the mysteries of the world ocean and to understand processes within it.  Is it important? Is it important Is it important

Websites to help  Canadian Ocean Scientists Ocean ScientistsOcean Scientists  How Deep Can They Go? How Deep Can They Go? How Deep Can They Go?