The Ultimate Oceanography Career Guide

The oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface, and represent more than 99% of the living space on Earth. Though oceanographers have been studying the Earth's oceans for hundreds of years, they not yet uncovered a fraction of what lies beneath the surface.

Whether you're interested in protecting and utilizing the ocean's natural resources, mapping the ocean's geological features, identifying new species of plants and animals, or locating shipwrecks, you're sure to enjoy a career in oceanography.

This guide will introduce you to oceanography education, career opportunities and other resources, and help you decide whether oceanography is the right career for you.

Education - Awesome Blogs - Top Career Resources - Cool Websites

Oceanography Education

Oceanography is defined as the exploration and scientific study of the ocean and its phenomena. Oceanography, as an interdisciplinary science, incorporates biology, chemistry, engineering, geology and physics.

Most oceanographers obtain a master's or doctorate degree, though some entry-level positions require only a bachelor's degree. Oceanographers find employment with educational institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations and corporations. There are many colleges and universities around the world offering programs in oceanography and related fields.

• Choosing a College & Program: MarineBio.org offers a list of Marine Biology and Oceanography colleges in the United States and Internationally. The site also includes links to rankings and discusses how to choose a program.
•  Education & Training: Minnesota Careers presents an in-depth discussion on the educational requirements for a career in oceanography and different options for pursuing oceanography education.
• Why Study Oceanography: This site, by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, features profiles of oceanography students who discuss their education and describe their reasons for studying oceanography.
• Career Overview: The Bureau of Labor Statistics pages on Biological Scientists and Geoscientists and Hydrologists are detailed descriptions of oceanography careers, education and job outlook.

Awesome Oceanography Blogs 

• Blogfish: Blogfish is written by an ocean conservationist and discusses fish, oceans and conservation.
• British Oceanographic Research Center: The BORC blog is written by staff and preserves and distributes oceanographic and marine data.
• Deep Sea News: Deep Sea News is written by oceanographers and delivers deep ocean news, as it happens, to the public through the eyes of scientists.
• MBARI Blog:The blog of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute reports MBARI research and ocean news from around the world.
• Oceana: Oceana is a world-wide ocean conservation organization with offices around the world. The blog presents oceanography news and research and discusses environmental issues.
• Oceanographer's Choice: Oceanographer's Choice blog presents news, research and general discussion of oceanography and marine biology topics.
• Oceans 4ever:Oceans 4ever blog is written by 10 year-old Alexa and aims "to get everyone interested and involved in loving and saving the ocean every day."
• Science Daily Oceanography: Science Daily Oceanography presents news and information on oceanography research, ocean creatures, environmental science and more.
• Sea Notes: Sea Notes, the blog of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, is written by various members of the aquarium's staff, and seeks to inspire others to learn about and protect the world's oceans. 
• SeaDiscovery.com:  The website of Marine Technology Reporter presents news on oceanography technology and ocean science equipment.
• Skidaway Institute's Weblog: The blog is written by the faculty and staff of Skidaway Institute for Oceanography.
• Southern Fried Science: Southern Fried Science is a blog written by marine biology graduation students in North Carolina and South Carolina, and discusses all aspects of marine biology and oceanography.
• World Fish Center: The World Fish Center blog reports on fish, fishing, fishing economy and fish conservation from around the world.

The Top Oceanography Career Resources

• Aquatic Network: The Aquatic Network posts job opportunities in oceanography and marine sciences around the country.
• Aqua-tnet: Aqua-tnet, a teaching platform for aquaculture, fisheries, and aquatic resource management, posts jobs in oceanography and related fields across Europe.
• ASLO Job Board: The ASLO job board posts openings in government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and for profit corporations. The ASLO board posts hundreds of positions and receives millions of visitors each year.
• CFD Online Jobs:An online center for Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD Online posts jobs in Coastal and Ocean Engineering related fields.
• Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation: The Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation promotes understanding and conservation of estuaries and coastal eco systems. The job board posts ocean biology job opportunities.
• Earthworks Jobs: The Earthworks job board posts opportunities in oceanography, palaeoceanography, Marine Science, Coastal Science and limnology from organizations around the world.
• ECO Jobs: This site posts job opportunities in environmental and biological science related fields, including oceanography and marine science.
• Environmental Career Opportunities: This site posts career opportunities in all areas of environmental science.
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Jobs:This site lists jobs with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission around the world, in fisheries, resource management, and oceanography.
• International Association of Great Lakes Research Jobs: The IAGLR lists jobs available within the organization, in several locations around the U.S. 
• IOCCG Employment Opportunities: The International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group uses satellite data to study the earth's oceans. This site posts job opportunities within the group.
• IODP-USIO Employment: This site lists job opportunities with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program U.S. Implementing Organization.
• MarineBio.org Resource Directory: This is a directory of marine biology career resources, including job boards, internship opportunities, and information about marine biology careers. 
• NAML Jobs: The National Association of Marine Laboratories is a non-profit organization of marine laboratories throughout North America. The job site posts employment opportunities from its member organizations.
• NOAA Careers: This site lists jobs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Jobs are located around the country, and the site allows users to search by location.
• SeaDiscovery.com Featured Jobs:The website of Marine Technology Reporter posts jobs in oceanography, marine biology, marine engineering, and related fields around the world.
• Texas A & M Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Job Board: The Texas A & M Board posts oceanography and marine biology jobs from around the country. This site also includes links to other employment resources.
• U.N. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department: This site lists job openings around the world within the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.
• WHOI Career Center: The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute's Career Center lists job opportunities at WHOI, describes the jobs within each of WHOI's divisions, and includes links to HR information about WHOI. 

Cool Oceanography Websites

• Garbage Patch: This site is dedicated to educating the public about and promoting action against the Pacific Gyre, 3.5 million pounds of trash floating between Hawaii and San Francisco.
• Google Earth Oceans: Google Earth allows users to explore the ocean through interactive images of the oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and more. The Google 5 plug-in is required.
• Gulfoilspill.net:This covers the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (also called the BP oil spill or the Deepwater Horizon oil spill). The site collects news and information from around the web.
• MarineBio.org: MarineBio.org invites readers to explore the world's oceans. Information on this site includes marine plants and animals, ecology, videos, and more.
• Ocean Currents: This site presents information about ocean currents around the world. Visitors can view graphics about ocean currents, learn about oceanography terms, and more.
• Ocean Motion:  Presented by NASA, Ocean motion is a collection of interactive educational resources. Readers can explore the melting ice sheets, gulf oil spill, the garbage patch, and more.
• Office of Naval Research: This site, presented by the Office of Naval Research, features information and activities on oceanography, including ocean life, habitat, ocean currents, and more.
• Scuba Travel Worldwide: This site lists the best scuba diving locations around the world. Visitors can learn about oceanography and how to see shipwrecks, coral reefs, and amazing underwater plant and animal life up close.
• SEA Semester: SEA Semester is an educational program that allows college students to complete a semester of study in a 12-week program. Students spend 6 weeks on land and 6 weeks aboard a sailboat, learning about the oceans up close in locations around the world.
• Texas A&M Coral Reefs: This site, presented by Texas A&M, includes information, photos, and conservation news about coral reefs.
• The Mariana Trench:This site explores the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the oceans and the deepest location on the earth, located in the Pacific Ocean near Japan. 
• WomenOceanographers.org: This site presents information about women in oceanography and features profiles of women working in marine sciences. The site also offers in-depth information about various oceanography career paths.