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Undergraduate Marine Science What do marine scientists do? Marine scientists explore all aspects of the seas, seeking to understand how the oceans, their biological communities, the solid earth, and the atmosphere interact. Chemical oceanographers study such things as how minerals on land weather into salts and enter the ocean, how chemicals in seawater interact and react, how organic material created by plants survives in the ocean and is buried in sediments deep below the sea surface (and thereby subtracts greenhouse gases from the atmosphere), and how major elements cycle through the ocean. Geological oceanographers are concerned with plate tectonics and how new crust is formed below the ocean, with the formation and evolution of marine sediments and coastlines, and with reconstruction of ancient environments from fossils and minerals found in the seafloor. Marine meteorologists work to better understand air-sea interactions such as the exchange of gases, nutrients, heat and water across the air sea interface. Marine meteorologists also study weather over the ocean, including hurricanes. Physical oceanographers map bodies of water and model water motion to better our understanding of how the movement of seawater affects the transfer of heat, of inorganic and organic materials, and of plant cells and animal larvae from one part of the world to another. Biological oceanographers explore the biological systems of the marine realm, seeking to establish the interconnections between organisms and their physical regime, nutrient flux, and geologic setting. For instance, in near-surface waters they use water motions and the distribution of light and nutrients to estimate how much plant productivity the ocean can sustain, or explore how the passage of hurricanes affects transport of crab and fish larvae from offshore into estuarine nursery habitats, or how algal physiology and behavior interact with water transport and nutrient supply to generate toxic red tides. In the deep sea, they are studying what sustains the biological communities that thrive at seafloor spreading centers in darkness and high pressures, and how the animals or their larvae colonize new hot-spots. Opportunities for marine science majors at NC State The Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at NCSU offers BS degrees in Marine Sciences with emphases in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Meteorology, and Physics. Our goal is to train scientists with a solid grounding in their discipline of emphasis, but whose broad exposure to the other Marine Science disciplines allows them to recognize and integrate the effects of complex interactions between sea, solid earth and atmosphere. By incorporating a few additional courses into a carefully-planned program, our students can earn two B.S. degrees--one in Marine Science and another in a life science, chemistry, geology, meteorology or physics. Most important are the 30+ MEAS faculty, dedicated to the training of students, discovery of new knowledge, and service to the public. We occupy a modern teaching and research building, and are partners in NCSU's coastal facility, CMAST. Our libraries (with Natural Resources shelved in our building) offer world-class on-line services. State-of-the-art technology, dedicated instructional time on oceanographic vessels, and numerous field stations facilitate "real-world" training. All marine science majors go to sea aboard ocean going vessels before they graduate. Careers The demand for scientists with broad vision is rising as government agencies and businesses discover that the global environment, like the global economy, is truly interconnected. Current emphasis on ocean policy underscores the need for more knowledge and better forecasting for the oceans. Marine scientists are tasked with increasing the scientific knowledge base, and as professionals with interdisciplinary training are needed to advise business, industry and governments on wise use of marine resources and potential impacts of human activities. Marine scientists work for:
Educational Requirements » For information on undergraduate programs, contact: |
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