Oceanography is the science of the ocean and how it interacts with other parts of our planetary system. It is divided into several different disciplines. Physical oceanography deals with wind, waves, tides, currents and properties of seawater such as salinity and temperaure. Chemical oceanography deals with the chemistry of substances dissolved in the water, including pollutants. Biological oceanography is the study of marine plants, animals and ecosystems. Geological oceangraphy is the study of the sea floor and seafloor processes. In the real ocean the physical, chemical, biological and geological part of the system are closely interlinked, so oceanography is very interdisciplinary.

Oceanographers apply (use) physics, chemistry, biology and geology to the study of the world's ocean - currents, tides and circulation; wind and waves; the animals and plants that live in the ocean and along the sea shore; how the ocean interacts with the atmosphere and land in our climate system and in other ways.