Part I

Miranda Overson January 26, 2013 6 Weekly Writing 5

The ocean is like the endless sky above us, only here on Earth. Oceanography is the study of the many topics that have to do with the ocean. I think oceanographers study tides, ocean storms, sea life (plants and animals), the sea floor, plate tectonics, charts of the ocean, pollution of the ocean, and the effect of global warming on the ocean. I doubt that any oceanographer can study every single topic, but she could specialize in one. When I think of the ocean, I picture waves crashing against the shore and seagulls cawing, almost like another world filled with surprises and sometimes unexpected danger. The ocean is so vast and many mysteries lie beneath the waters and this fills me with many questions. How many years of college would a student have to attend to be an oceanographer? Aquariums could possibly hire an oceanographer, but who else could? Do oceanographers travel to other parts of the world to study oceans? What would a typical day be like for an oceanographer? Do they study ocean fossils? As I research about this career, I hope that almost all of my questions can be answered. Part II By researching oceanography on the Internet, I learned a lot more about this science. To become an oceanographer, first you need a Bachelors degree with lots of science and math classes. Then you need to get a Masters or Phd degree in one of the specialty fields of oceanography. I discovered that there are four main fields of oceanography including Physical Oceanography, Biological Oceanography, Geological Oceanography, and Chemical Oceanography. I found this information on a

Miranda Overson January 26, 2013 6 Weekly Writing 5 great website from the Geology Department of the California State University Pomona. Geological Oceanography sounds like one of the most interesting fields out of all of them. Scientists study rocks, sediments, fossils, and maps of the ocean floor. In the previous science unit with Mr. Shern, we learned about the ocean floor along with Pangaea and fossils. As I look back to my thesis about how I thought oceanographers could study the ocean floor and fossils, I realize that Im off to a good start on my research. When I tried to answer my next question about who hires oceanographers I found a helpful article at the Texas A & M University website about hiring oceanographers. As I predicted these scientists are hired by aquariums, but they also work for the federal government, private industries, and universities. Every year I go to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for the summer and a great place to work as an oceanographer is the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I went to their website and saw that they have summer programs for high school students. Maybe one day Ill try it out. Part III When researching about oceanography, I found out that my impression of it was basically correct, but I also learned more. For example, I had an idea about what a typical day would be like for an oceanographer. I had pictured oceanographers sitting in a laboratory near an ocean filled with computers and instruments. I also imagined oceanographers standing on research vessels with tiny pails holding live animals and plants. On a website called National Science Teachers Association, an

Miranda Overson January 26, 2013 6 Weekly Writing 5 oceanographer named Evan Forde, tells about his adventures at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. He describes a day at work and to my surprise, many things I predicted turned out to be true. When Forde works in his office, he uses a computer and water samples to find out information about pollutants and carbon dioxide levels. He also uses sound waves to map out the ocean floor. More adventurous discoveries await him out at sea like when uses optical devices to search for evidence of underwater volcanoes and mountains. Along with that, sometimes Forde and a team of scientists dive underwater taking samples of rocks or sediments to uncover the mysteries of the ocean floor. Even though this job sounds like a lot of fun, it takes a big commitment to actually become an oceanographer. Students usually have to attend 6-10 years of college in order to become an oceanographer. What I really didnt know was that are four different fields in oceanography and that there are so many places to get a job. Overall my research was successful and there are lots of great websites about oceanography. Now that Ive learned more about the ocean, Im ready to take a relaxing trip to the sea! Part IV "NSTA - National Science Teachers Association." NSTA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013 "OCEANOGRAPHY." OCEANOGRAPHY. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. "Preparation for a Career in Oceanography." Careers in Oceanography. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. "Summer Programs." : Woods Hole Sea Grant. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.

Miranda Overson January 26, 2013 6 Weekly Writing 5