Career As An Oceanographer
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What's It About?
Oceanography, an offshoot of earth sciences, is the study of oceans. This multidisciplinary field has various branches - physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, geological and biological oceanography. India has about 500 oceanographers, excluding researchers in the industry. NIO has about 150 marine scientists working on various aspects of oceanography. Oceanographers don't dive (though some may scuba dive in shallow waters, up to 10-15 metres of depth) because of extremely high pressure. Instead, they use special equipment for studies in the deep
Clock Work
In an average day on land, an oceanographer may do the following:
9 am: Get to office. Discuss projects with PhD students. Monitor experiments
1.15 pm: Lunch
2 pm: Analyse samples. Write a research paper
5.30 pm: Return to the lab for research work
On a ship, work goes on 24/7. Crew members have two shifts of four hours each in a day. For scientists the shift is adjusted according to experiments
The Payoff
An entry-level scientist (with a masters) earns a gross salary of around R30,000 a month. The pay can go up to R1.5 lakh a month at senior levels. In addition to the salary, almost all scientific institutions under the Government of India provide additional benefits such as free medical assistance (including the scientist's file), leave encashment (limited) on retirement etc. In academic institutions, the entry-level salary will be at par with an assistant professor's pay
Skills
- Seaworthy and adventurous
- Observation and analytical skills
- Knowledge of basic sciences
- Inquisitiveness about the functioning of oceans in particular and the earth system in general
- Programming/computing skills
How Do I Get There?
Study science (preferably with maths) in Class 11 and Class 12. The entry requirements for masters in oceanography vary. Universities ask for bachelors/masters in various disciplines, including geology, marine geology, marine geophysics, etc. or AMIE (Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers) in specified branches. Candidates need to pass the UGC-CSIR National Eligibility Test (for basic sciences) or the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (for engineering) to enrol for a PhD programme at NIO, Goa.
Institutes & URLs
- MSc in oceanography/ hydrochemistry, MTech in ocean technology, Cochin University of Science and Technology cusat.ac.in
- Five-year integrated MSc in ocean science and technology, Annamalai University annamalaiuniversity.ac.in
- Doctoral studies at National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, nio.org
- BTech/MTech dual degree in ocean engineering and naval architecture, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Madras, iitm.ac.in, iitkgp.ac.in
- MSc (earth science & resource management, Mangalore University mangaloreuniversity.ac.in
- MSc in oceanography/MTech in oceanic studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam andhrauniversity.info
Pros & Cons
- It's an emerging field
- Learn about the sea and possibilities of using its resources
- Be away from family and work in high seas for a long time at a stretch. Can cause sea-sickness
Author: Rahat Bano (HT Horizons)
You may also like to read: Oceanography: Discovering the Sea of Wealth and Oceanography is a Multidisciplinary Science
Date: 13th January, 2011
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