Department of Oceanography

Studies in Oceanography

Oceanography is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on the oceans, their contents and their boundaries. Undergraduate degree programs include BS in Oceanography and BA in Ocean Studies. In addition, qualified undergraduate students may participate in a 15-credit minor in Oceanography.

The BS in Oceanography provides students with an interdisciplinary education and training in one of three areas of ocean science: Ocean Observing Science and Technology (OOST), Ocean Climate (OC), Marine Ecosystems Processes (MEP) and Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry (MCG). All students will gain skill in handling, evaluating and analyzing large datasets.

The BA in Ocean Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of the oceans and allows them to pair it with a minor from another field to tailor the degree to their needs and the needs of the evolving workforce. All students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The Department of Oceanography also has a combined 5-year Bachelor's/Master of Ocean Science and Technology Program in conjunction with Environmental Geosciences, Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography, and Geology. These combined programs offer motivated and exceptional students the opportunity to achieve aspirations in an efficient program at Texas A&M, completing a Bachelor's degree in one of these majors: Environmental Geosciences (BS), Meteorology (BS), Geology (BS), Oceanography (BS), and the Master of Ocean Science and Technology (MOST) degree in 5 years. There are only two courses used for dual credit in this program. There is a total of 150 hours of coursework. The concurrent degree program enables these motivated students to coordinate the required BS coursework (114 undergraduate credit hours plus 6 dual credit graduate courses) and MOST coursework (36 credit hours including the 6 dual credit graduate courses) to complete the required credit hours for each degree without diminishing scope or quality of work within 5 years.

Oceanography (OCNG)

OCNG 101 Succeeding in Oceanography

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Introduction to the study of the ocean and to the departmental and university resources available to assist and enhance the pursuit of a degree in oceanography or ocean studies; variety of guest lecturers will present on career pathways, internship, and research opportunities.

OCNG 203 Communicating Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Learn and practice basic writing skills for ocean science; basic background on the research being conducted in the Department of Oceanography through seminars given by Oceanography graduate students. Prerequisites: OCNG 251; majors in OCNG and OCNS.

OCNG 251 The Blue Planet - Our Oceans

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (GEOL 1345, GEOL 1445*) The Blue Planet - Our Oceans. Overview of the ocean environment; interrelation of the subdisciplines of ocean sciences; importance of the oceans to human beings; human impact on the oceans; also taught at Galveston campus.

OCNG 252 The Blue Planet - Our Oceans Laboratory

Credit 1. 2 Lab Hours. (GEOL 1145, GEOL 1445*) The Blue Planet - Our Oceans Laboratory. Hands-on laboratory experiments and exercises demonstrating principles of ocean sciences; emphasis on the unique interdisciplinary nature of the ocean and current ocean issues relevant to today's society.

OCNG 281 Seminar

Credit 1. 1 Other Hour. Basic background on the research being conducted in the Department of Oceanography through seminars given by Oceanography graduate student; basic writing skills for ocean science through instruction and assignments during the semester. Prerequisites: OCNG 251; OCNG 252; or approval of instructor.

OCNG 289 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of oceanography. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor.

OCNG 291 Research

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in oceanography. May be repeated 2 times for credit. Registration in multiple sections of this course is possible within a given semester provided that the per semester credit hour limit is not exceeded. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification and approval of instructor.

OCNG 303 Professional Communication in Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of the fundamental skills required for effective communication of various forms of writing and for oral presentations of various lengths and purposes; addresses preparation for various ocean science-related careers. Prerequisite: OCNG 203; COMM 203 or COMM 205, junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

OCNG 310 Physical Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Elements of the physics of the sea; descriptive aspects as well as cause and effect relations in respect to currents, thermal structure and waves; intended for majors in the physical sciences or engineering. Prerequisites: MATH 152, PHYS 206, and PHYS 226; junior or senior classification.

OCNG 320 Biological Oceanography

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Biological aspects of the marine environment; marine organisms; productivity of the sea; marine pollution and fouling; use of the sea. Prerequisites: OCNG 251, BIOL 112 or BIOL 107; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

OCNG 330 Geological Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. History of Oceanography; physiographic provinces of the oceans, their origins and sediments; geological sampling techniques and geophysical methods; coasts and beaches, paleoceanography; global tectonics. Prerequisites: OCNG 251, GEOL 101 or GEOG 203, or approval of instructor.

OCNG 340 Chemical Oceanography

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Chemical aspects of the marine environment; biogeochemical cycles of organic and inorganic constituents; primary productivity, the carbon dioxide system, nutrient cycles, stable and radioactive isotopes in the sea. Prerequisites: CHEM 120 and OCNG 251.

OCNG 350 Marine Pollution

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Sources and fates of marine pollutants; types of pollutants including plastics, oil and sound; impact of pollution on society. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

OCNG 404 Ocean Observing Systems

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Investigate the rationale behind ocean observing systems; familiarize with the relevant social, scientific design, technology and policy issues associated with observing systems. Prerequisite: OCNG 251 or approval of instructor.

OCNG 411 Global Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The ocean's large-scale circulation and water mass structure based on the interpretation of modern observations; emphasis on the ocean's role in global climate and physical-chemical property fluxes in basin to global scale budgets. Prerequisite: OCNG 251.

OCNG 412/GEOG 410 Global Change

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The interaction of the earth, atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and life, including the impact of human society on the environment and climate; global change modeling; politics, policy and decision making; and personal awareness. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: GEOG 410/OCNG 412.

OCNG 413 Polar Regions of the Earth: Science, Society and Discovery

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of disciplines and topics that define modern polar science in the north and the south; includes history of the Polar Regions, polar geosciences, major polar scientific projects, and special topics; participate as individuals and teams in education, outreach and science projects. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

OCNG 425 Microbial Oceanography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Diversity and ecology of microorganisms in the ocean; role in the Earth system both in the contemporary ocean and the geological past. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification, OCNG 251, or approval of instructor.

OCNG 443 Oceanographic Field and Laboratory Methods

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Development of skills needed to collect, prepare and analyze oceanographic samples; perform data analysis, interpretation and reporting for common oceanographic analyses. Prerequisite: OCNG 251 and CHEM 120; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

OCNG 451 Mathematical Modeling of Ocean Climate

Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Problem-based course in theoretical and computer techniques applied to mathematical solutions of ocean climate, including ocean circulation, climate variability, El Niño. Prerequisite: MATH 308.

OCNG 453 Hydrothermal Vents and Mid-Ocean Ridges

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of the creation of various types of hydrothermal fluids, the associated chemical behavior of vent and plume fluids, and the ecology of hydrothermal vent systems; emphasis on the interdependence of the geological, chemical, and biological aspects of hydrothermal systems. Prerequisite: OCNG 251; BIOL 112; CHEM 120; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

OCNG 456 MATLAB Programming for Ocean Sciences

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Computation techniques for oceanographic data processing using MATLAB; focus on the analysis of oceanographic-related data sets and real-world oceanographic applications; analyze individual data sets. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of the instructor.

OCNG 461 Advanced Oceanographic Data Analysis and Communication

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Project design and planning for oceanographers; oceanographic data organization and analysis; synthesis and interpretation of data analysis; technical report writing and presentation. Prerequisites: OCNG 203; STAT 211 or STAT 303; junior or senior classification.

OCNG 469 Python for Geosciences

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Core language Python programming, scientific programming analysis methods, analysis of large geophysical data sets, plotting geophysical data, interpolation. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

OCNG 470 Data Analysis Methods in Geosciences

Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Topics and methods encountered while performing research in the geosciences; conceptualization of a scientific problem, data collection and processing, appropriate analysis techniques and data archiving and management; multi-disciplinary approach with an emphasis on real-world applications from environmental, atmospheric, and oceanographic sciences. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification; MATH 151; STAT 211, STAT 301, STAT 302, or STAT 303, or concurrent enrollment; or approval of instructor.

OCNG 481 Seminar

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Analysis, review and critique of current research themes in oceanography based on reading assignments and seminar presentations. May be taken four times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

OCNG 484 Internship

Credits 0 to 3. 0 Lecture Hours. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Directed internship in a private firm, government agency or non-governmental organization to provide work experience related to the student’s degree program and career objectives. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: OCNG major or approval of instructor.

OCNG 485 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Special reading assignments, problems and discussion on oceanographic topics of mutual interest to student and instructor. Prerequisites: OCNG 251 or approval of instructor. An honors section is also available.

OCNG 489 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. 0 to 4 Lab Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of oceanography. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisite: OCNG 251 or approval of instructor. An honors section is also available.

OCNG 491 Research

Credits 0 to 9. 0 to 9 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in oceanography. Registration in multiple sections of this course is possible within a given semester provided that the per semester credit hour limit is not exceeded. Honors section also available. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification and approval of instructor.

Baldauf, Jack G, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of California at Berkeley, 1985

Campbell, Lisa, Research Professor
Oceanography
PHD, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1985
PHD, State University of New York- Stony Brook, 1985

Chang, Ping, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Princeton University, 1988

Dimarco, Steven F, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1991

Fitzsimmons, Jessica N, Associate Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013

Henrichs, Darren, Instructional Assistant Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2012

Hu, Sarah, Assistant Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of Southern California, 2018

Jones, Cory, Assistant Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of California, San Diego, 2018

Knap, Anthony H, Research Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of South Hampton, 1978
PHD, University of Southampton, 1978

Knapp, Angela, Professor
Oceanography
DOC, Princeton University, 2006

Liu, Yina, Assistant Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2013

Orsi, Alejandro H, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Texas A&M University, 1993

Potter, Henry, Associate Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of Miami, 2014

Shamberger, Kathryn E, Associate Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of Washington, 2011

Slowey, Niall C, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991

Sylvan, Jason B, Associate Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Rutgers University, 2008

Thomas, Deborah J, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2002

Thornton, Daniel C, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Queen Mary Westfield College, University of London, 1996

Wiederwohl, Christina L, Instructional Associate Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2012

Yvon-Lewis, Shari A, Professor
Oceanography
PHD, University of Miami, 1994

Zhang, Shuang, Assistant Professor
Oceanography
PHD, Yale University, 2017