oceanography

American  

[oh-shuh-nog-ruh-fee, oh-shee-uh-] / ˌoʊ ʃəˈnɒg rə fi, ˌoʊ ʃi ə- /

noun

1. the branch of physical geography dealing with the ocean.

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oceanography British  

/ ˌəʊʃənəˈɡræfɪk, ˌəʊʃɪə-, ˌəʊʃəˈnɒɡrəfɪ, ˌəʊʃɪə- /

noun

1. the branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, geological, and biological features of the oceans and ocean basins

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oceanography Scientific  

/ ō′shə-nŏg′rə-fē /

1. The scientific study of oceans, the life that inhabits them, and their physical characteristics, including the depth and extent of ocean waters, their movement and chemical makeup, and the topography and composition of the ocean floors. Oceanography also includes ocean exploration.

2. Also called oceanology

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Other Word Forms

• oceanographer noun
• oceanographic adjective
• oceanographical adjective
• oceanographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of oceanography

First recorded in 1855–60; ocean + -o- + -graphy

Explanation

Oceanography is the scientific study of the ocean. If you're interested in biology, physics, and sea creatures, you might want to study oceanography. Another way to say oceanography is "marine science." Scientists who specialize in oceanography are called oceanographers, and they focus on specific aspects of the sea which might include the physics of waves and currents or the biology of marine animals and plants. The word oceanography was coined in the mid-1800s, modeled on geography, from ocean and -graphy, "the process of writing or recording."

Example Sentences

“Experts are eyeing current oceanography reports with a healthy level of concern,” he wrote in an email.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

An oceanography professor told ABC it may only have been in the water for a few weeks before it landed at Wharton Beach, where it may have remained buried for 100 years.

From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025

Heat plumes from the eruption will rise from the seafloor — perhaps half a mile — but won’t reach the surface, said William Wilcock, professor of oceanography at the University of Washington.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

"We urge the creation of more expansive coral reef microbial datasets on a global scale and recommend undertaking interdisciplinary research encompassing ecology, marine chemistry, physical oceanography and microbiomics."

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024

In bacteriology, in medicine, in seismology, oceanography, and other fields, Japan has made valuable contributions to science and established the right to recognition in an international gathering of this nature.

From International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I Philosophy and Metaphysics by Various