Imagine it is a bright, warm summer afternoon. A fresh breeze is blowing and the sun is glinting off the waves. You are standing at the rail of a research vessel hundreds of kilometres off the Canadian coastline, taking a break from your work in one of the ship's equipment rooms. You are an oceanographer and you've spent the last three hours directing an underwater vehicle that is gathering data from the ocean floor. You have been aboard this ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean for the past four weeks studying a portion of the ocean floor for a large oil exploration company.
The company intends to build an underwater pipeline and has hired you to help determine the best location for this pipe, where it will be at the least risk of damage from the ocean. As an oceanographer, you gather information for environmental assessments of projects like this pipeline. When first approached about this project, you began by researching existing information on the region of the ocean floor where the pipeline is to be built. Most of the floor has been well mapped, but the maps are several years old now.
Conditions at the ocean's bottom can change quickly, so before a new pipeline can be approved, the maps must be updated and the data kept current. That's why you are part of this research expedition. Your radio-controlled underwater vehicle is equipped with a sonar system to survey the ocean floor and gather data on geological threats such as active fault lines. The vehicle also has a camera on board that will photograph the area and help identify the area's physical and ecological characteristics, including marine life. And while the vehicle is still at the bottom of the ocean, you can direct it to take seawater samples that will be analyzed for the accurate chemical composition of the water in that area of the ocean. All this information will be included in your report to the oil exploration company as to the safest location for its pipeline.
Duties vary significantly from job to job, but the following list includes typical job duties one might encounter as an oceanographer:
Oceanographers work in a variety of locations, including:
In the office:
In the field:
In the lab:
There are a number of places oceanographers can find employment. They include:
If you are a high school student considering a career as an oceanographer, you should have strong marks or an interest in:
In most cases, the minimum education requirement to work as an oceanographer is a university graduate degree. If you are a post-secondary student considering a career as an oceanographer, the following programs are most applicable:
Certification is not mandatory in order to work as an oceanographer, but most practitioners belong to professional groups such as the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) or the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
My post-secondary education began with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in chemistry. After graduating, I attended a presentation by an oceanographer and it changed my career focus. I soon had a job and plans for my Master's degree in Oceanography. If you want to work in this area, employment as an oceanographer can be found with large oil companies, federal and provincial governments as well as consulting firms. One of my first duties as an oceanographer was principal investigator on coastal environmental surveys. A few years later, I started my own consulting company providing services in coastal environmental sampling, offshore discharge monitoring, occupational hygiene and marine chemist gas inspections of commercial shipping.
My company grew as I gained experience, and twenty years later, my employees bought the company. My twenty-eight years' of experience is a valuable asset and I now work as a consultant for the company I used to own. Ongoing learning and upgrading of skills is a necessity. I take at least two courses a year to re-qualify in specific skill areas and to keep up with technological advances. These courses cover scientific areas and training in computer technology. One other way I stay current is through my work. Many problems are unique and require a scientific investigative approach.
Each new challenge is a learning opportunity. Individuals who are well trained in science and have acquired professional expertise will find great potential in the field of oceanography. The government is moving toward regulating the industry by requiring certain qualifications and designations. People with technical training will find work but advancement may be more limited. Your opportunities will also be linked to your ability to expand business or save costs for the organization you work for. If you like problem-solving, working independently on projects and the ocean environment then consider oceanography as a career.
There are exciting projects that require professional skills and commitment from talented people. I am proposing a new oil spill analysis project that will sample oil from suspect sources and determine where the spill originated. You won’t be bored working as an oceanographer. I have the usual office hours and try to "work smart” instead of putting in longer days to get the job done. That being said, I sometimes go offshore and spend many hours working over a two-week period before returning to the office.
Travelling can also take me overseas occasionally. When in the office I have normal office duties such as email, phone, answering co-worker questions, preparing proposals and interpreting data. Communication and computer skills are the two most used abilities on a day-to-day basis. The most valuable thing I can offer the environment is my extensive experience. I have been able to use that knowledge to create a prosperous environmental consulting company. My new focus is on training others to understand environmental issues as well as finding solutions to unique problems. Maybe something I do will influence the career direction of a future oceanographer.
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