Oceanography: Science and History

Scope and Interdisciplinary Foundations

Oceanography, also called ocean science or marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean and its physical, chemical, biological, and geological systems. Its scope includes ocean currents, waves, tides, fluid dynamics, seawater chemistry, marine ecosystems, ocean–atmosphere exchanges, plate tectonics, seafloor geology, sedimentation, and the movement of heat, energy, and substances within the ocean and across its boundaries. It also supports research into climate change, ocean acidification, sea-level rise, marine heatwaves, coral bleaching, sea-ice decline, and sustainable resource management. Oceanography is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Oceanographers combine methods and concepts from physics, chemistry, biology, geology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, and astronomy to understand the ocean as an interconnected Earth system. This integration allows scientists to examine how physical processes influence marine life, how chemical cycles affect ecosystems, how geological structures shape ocean basins, and how the ocean interacts with the atmosphere, climate, and broader biosphere.

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Early Ocean Exploration and Navigation

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