You live on what is known as the "Blue Planet," a place where over 71% of the surface is covered in water. Scientists who study the oceans and how they interact with other Earth systems are called oceanographers. The study of oceanography includes all aspects of the ocean, from examining microscopic plankton and studying tidal changes, to exploring deep ocean hydrothermal vents and tracking the global circulation of ocean currents. In this module, you will learn about how the ocean formed, the different ways that the ocean’s water moves around the Earth, and the structure of Earth’s crust below the ocean surface. You will also meet some species that call the ocean home and learn how humans and the ocean depend on each other in more ways than you might think.
Getting Started
Oceanographers study the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of Earth's oceans. Before you start this module, play this connect the dot game to reveal one of the items that you will study in this module. Click the player button to get started.
Key Vocabulary
To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.
abyssal plain | groin | sea stack |
abyssal zone | Gulf Stream | seamount |
aphotic zone | guyot | seawall |
barrier island | gyre | semidiurnal |
basins | hydrothermal vent | singularity |
baymouth bar | intertidal zone | solar nebula |
beach nourishment | marine protected area | Solar Nebula Theory |
benthic zone | mid ocean ridge | spit |
benthos | mixed tide | spring tide |
Big Bang Theory | neap tide | submergent coast |
breakwater | nekton | surface current |
carbonate | neritic zone | thermohaline circulation |
continental margin | ocean trench | tide |
continental rise | oceanic conveyor belt | tombolo |
continental shelf | oceanic zone | trough |
continental slope | out gassing | upwelling |
Coriolis effect | overfishing | volcanic island |
crest | pelagic zone | wave height |
diurnal tide | photic zone | wave period |
emergent coast | plankton | wave |
euphotic zone | salinity | wave-cut cliff |
fetch | sea arch | wavelength |