Studying the Last Fronteir

Anna – future oceanographer

A wise American cellist once stated,"A bewildering assortment of (mostly microscopic) life forms has been found thriving in what were once thought to be uninhabitable regions of our planet. These hardy creatures have turned up in deep, hot underground rocks, around scalding volcanic vents at the bottom of the ocean, in the desiccated, super-cold Dry Valleys of Antarctica, in places of high acid, alkaline, and salt content, and below many meters of polar ice Some deep-dwelling, heat-loving microbes, genetic studies suggest, are among the oldest species known, hinting that not only can life thrive indefinitely in what appear to us totally alien environments, it may actually originate in such places." That man was David Darling. This man talks about some of the many reasons I want to be an Oceanographer. I could be studying something from as small as microscopic algae to something as large as whales.

Oceanography covers a large range of topics, including marine life and ecosystems, ocean circulation, plate tectonics and the geology of the seafloor, and the chemical and physical properties of the ocean. Oceanography has 4 major areas. geological oceanography, physical oceanography, biological oceanography, and chemical oceanography. Each sub field is different yet alike in many ways. They often work together to solve problems and and the mysteries of the Ocean floor. While marine biologist study the plants and animals of an ecosystem, Biological oceanographers study marine organisms and their biological presence. I would like to be a Biological Oceanographer most because I would be studying the animals and their habitat features. I could be working on a team of other scientist like me.

In Texas, there are about 10,500 oceanography jobs, not very many. "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for oceanographers and other geoscientists are expected to grow by 18 percent in the next decade. The need for energy, environmental protection, and responsible land and water management will drive the creation of oceanography jobs, mostly in government and the oil industry." Some aspects of oceanography are expected to grow, others are expected to stay the same and the other fields will go down. The annual pay for Oceanographers is $90,890-$139,870(Median pay). To put that in perspective I could buy at least 76,378 Taco Bell tacos with that per year.

I would like to be an oceanographer because of my love for the ocean and science. I could be studying things as small as Zooplankton to as large as Blue Whales.

Works Cited

"Oceanography." Marine Careers, 30 Sept. 2015,
www.marinecareers.net/oceanography.

Society, National Geographic. "Oceanography." National Geographic Society, 9 Oct.2012,
www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/oceanography/.

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "What Does an Oceanographer Do?" NOAA's National Ocean Service, 1 Feb. 2009, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanographer.html.

"What Is an Oceanographer?" EnvironmentalScience.org,
www.environmentalscience.org/career/oceanographer.