Oceans as a career choice

Ranjan K Baruah *

We see hills and rivers around us but we don't see seas and oceans as they are far from us. Many of us visited different beaches and also carried out different adventurous activities related to seas or oceans. We can’t imagine the vast resources oceans possess. We have seen that throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation.

We should know that the ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen. The ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030. Oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.

Oceans are important and they matter to our life and health. There is no doubt that oceans drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea.

The importance of oceans has been realized and the global community felt that there should be celebrations related to oceans like other celebrations of events. The United Nations General Assembly designated 8 June as World Oceans Day (WOD) by its resolution 63/111 of 5 December 2008.

The concept of a WOD was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate our world’s shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.

Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future. Marine protected areas need to be effectively managed and well-resourced and regulations need to be put in place to reduce overfishing, marine pollution and ocean acidification.

UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) sponsors the World Ocean Network, which has since 2002 been instrumental in building support for ocean awareness events on 8 June. “Awaken New Depths” is the theme for this year’s celebration.

As we are discussing the importance of oceans, we need to know career options related to the same so that we can professionally get engaged in the conservation or preservation or using the resources in a sustainable manner.

There are many career options but we can name a few like Ocean Engineering, Marine Biology, Marine Mammal Trainer, Marine Archeology, Marine Researcher, Marine Environment Educator/ Oceanography, Aquatic Veterinarian, Scuba Diving Instructor and Underwater Filmmaker, Marine Scientist, Marine Environment Economist, etc .

Oceanography is the study of the physical, chemical, and biological features of the ocean, including the ocean’s ancient history, its current condition, and its future. Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviours and interactions with the environment. Marine biologists study biological oceanography and the associated fields of chemical, physical, and geological oceanography to understand marine organisms.

Graduates in Physics, Agriculture, Microbiology, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, and Applied Sciences or in other equivalent fields are eligible to pursue an M.Sc course in oceanography. Graduates who complete Oceanography have a wide range of career prospects both in governmental and other organizations.

Job designation may be working as scientist, engineers, and researchers at government sectors such as Meteorological Survey of India, Department of Oceanography, Geological Survey of India, marine life force, import and export department, environmental consultancies, ocean instrumentation manufacturing companies, water companies, energy supply companies, NGOs , media , etc .

As oceans are crucial to combating climate change so there would be more demands in different international organizations for the trained and qualified aspirants.

Goal 14 of Sustainable Development Goals is focused on ‘Life below water and why it matters’ and this shows seriousness of the global community which also brings opportunity for the qualified individuals to work in this sector.