Oceanography — the name alone lets you guess what the subject is like. For those who want a taste of adventure alongside an undergraduate degree, a favourite choice can be oceanography, also called ocean science (Oceanography). On the face of it this is a new field, and it holds boundless opportunity and promise. There is a lovely line about the sea:
“The beauty and mystery of the ocean, fills our lives with wonders, vast beyond our imagination.” – M. L. Borges
What is oceanography?
The name itself tells you the subject matter. Studying the sea is, in essence, the whole purpose of oceanography. About 71% of the earth is water and 29% is land, and 96.5% of that water is seawater — so a large part of the planet is ocean. Measured by volume, 80% of international trade worldwide, and measured by value more than about 70% of goods, is carried by sea. Beyond that, the ocean holds an enormous variety of life. For all these reasons the sea is a very important subject, and it needs extensive study. That is what oceanography is taught for.
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What is taught in oceanography?
The main aims of studying oceanography are to build knowledge about the sea, to understand the interrelationship between the land and the ocean, and to learn how marine resources can be harvested and used soundly. Universities design their course plans with these aims in mind. Alongside academic study, laboratory work, field trips and field work are compulsory here. So if you want some travelling in among your studies, you can choose oceanography for that too.
Why study oceanography??
The first question is why an oceanography department is needed at all. Along Bangladesh's southern border lies the Bay of Bengal and the longest sea beach in the world, and the Bay is rich in both mineral and animal resources. But harvesting that vast store of resources, managing it soundly and conserving it calls for technologists, scientists, researchers and skilled people. After the maritime boundary victories over Myanmar and India in 2012 and 2014, the need grew many times over. The idea of the blue economy is now widely discussed. To keep pace with the demands of a growing population, most countries are now turning towards marine resources. So the role of oceanography, and of oceanographers, is becoming more important by the day.
Where oceanography graduates work
After graduating in oceanography there are government career paths: the chance to become a scientific officer at the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) in Cox's Bazar, university teaching, and the chance to sit the BCS. Going abroad for higher study is also possible; many countries have scholarship provision for oceanography.
Which universities teach oceanography?
In Bangladesh oceanography is taught at the University of Dhaka, the University of Chittagong, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Noakhali Science and Technology University and several other public and private universities. Recognising the need for marine research, the country's only — and South Asia's third — university specialising in maritime subjects was established in 2013: ‘Bangladesh Maritime University’. Alongside oceanography it offers Marine Fisheries, naval architecture and offshore engineering.
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Final words
In the end, if you can love science as well as you love the sea, you will come out of university with a story worth telling once your degree is done.
Sarabun Tuhura and Omar Sajib BSc in Oceanography Department of Oceanography University of Dhaka
