How do oceanographers study the ocean?
Oceanographers often go to sea in oceanographic research vessels, but they spend the majority of their time analyzing and interpreting collected data. From Texas A&M’s research vessel Gyre, scientists can collect scientific information in a variety of ways. Oceanographers cast nets to snare certain organisms, deploy buoys and instruments that measure ocean currents, or collect water samples and measure the water temperature down to 1,000 meters or more. To obtain seafloor samples, researchers often employ submersible devices capable of withstanding the ocean’s increasing pressure at depth. In shallow water, scientists use scuba equipment to study coral reefs or collect benthic (seafloor) components. Back on shore, oceanographers analyze samples and data by laboratory instruments or by creating computer generated plots or simulations.
