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Oceanographer - Working conditions

Kaimātai Moana

Working Conditions

Oceanographers work in offices and laboratories, and may work on ships or small boats at sea or in coastal areas. They may spend several weeks a year at sea, working in all weather conditions. 

Oceanographers may travel throughout New Zealand and overseas to carry out research and experiments, and to attend conferences.
Joanne O'Callaghan with a large white instrument in a boat

Joanne O’Callaghan launching an instrument that measures the salt levels and temperature of water

A man watches as a rock dredge is pulled from the ocean onto a ship

Oceanographers bringing a rock dredge aboard a ship after taking a sample from the seabed

Photo courtesy of Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited

 

Equipment

Equipment oceanographers may use includes:

  • survey equipment such as current meters
  • instrumentation buoys, which collect information about salinity, temperature and pressure at different depths in the water
  • underwater cameras and videos
  • specialised electronic instruments such as underwater sensors that measure the height of waves
  • laboratory equipment
  • computers.

 

Hours

Oceanographers may work long hours carrying out experiments, especially when they are at sea. Survey ships operate 24 hours a day, so they may have to work shifts.

 

Rick Herzer

"The ship runs for 24 hours a day because of the cost and you usually work a 12-hour shift, which can be quite a grind."

Rick Herzer - Marine Geoscientist

 

Contact with people

Oceanographers usually work on projects in collaboration with other scientists, such as:
  • other oceanographers
  • atmospheric scientists
  • geologists
  • meteorologists
  • climatologists.
Oceanographers may also supervise technicians and research assistants. While at sea, they may be in contact with ship crew members.
Emptying a rock dredge.

Oceanographers emptying a rock dredge onboard a research ship

Photo courtesy of Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited

Examining a dredge haul

Marine geologists examining a sample brought up from the ocean floor

Photo courtesy of (Photo courtesy of Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited)

 

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Updated September 2009
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