We hope it will provide you with the background and resources to enable you to pursue your interest in aquatic science. If you would like to contribute to this document, or have questions, please contact the author, Susan Weiler . Please check our listing of institutions offering graduate programs in limnology and oceanography. Aquatic science is the study of the planet's above-ground waters, including both oceanic and freshwater environments. HOW MUCH plankton is in an area, how much heat is contained in surface waters, how much oxygen is available in the deep ocean, etc.
Aquatic scientists study virtually everything having to do with water.
For example, aquatic chemists are interested in organic, inorganic and trace-metal chemistry. Physical limnologists and oceanographers are concerned with water movements on all scales, from global circulation patterns to small-scale mixing. Marine geologists study the processes that have led to the formation of the ocean basins, and the ways in which geothermal and other geological processes interact with seawater. Geologists working in freshwater systems may be interested in the record of past climates or organisms found in the sediments. Optical limnologists and oceanographers are interested in the factors that affect the transmission of light through the water.