The Work

Oceanography has been defined as `the scientific study of all aspects of the oceans, their boundaries and their continents'. It aims at finding out more about marine resources. Its purpose is to study the sea, and discover its potential to meet the demands of modern development.

While the exact nature of work in this field would vary with the different specialized branches, oceanography, in general, is a research-oriented profession.

This means long periods spent in the field, i.e. at sea-with all its attendant challenges and hazards-collecting samples, conducting surveys, analyzing data, sometimes using extremely delicate and sophisticated equipment, and devising solutions to problems encountered.

Oceanographers must be prepared to spend most of their working life out at sea, as they are usually required to live and operate aboard a research vessel for anywhere between 200 and 240 days each year.