Marine science also includes archaeology , anthropology, sociology, engineering and other studies of human relationships with the sea. Scientists in such disciplines may be highly specialized. Geologists, for example, may concentrate on coastal processes, dynamics of the continental shelf or slope, or structure of the ocean floor. Chemists may work entirely at the interface of the sea and atmosphere, in the zone affected by ocean waves, at the maximum depth of light penetration, or in the environments created by deep sea thermal vents. Biologists may work mostly in tropical waters or polar seas, on plants, invertebrates, or vertebrates.
Many marine scientists have multiple specialties or work as part of multi disciplinary teams.
Marine scientists are employed by universities and colleges, international organizations, federal and state agencies, private companies, nonprofit laboratories and local governments, or they may be self-employed . Marine scientists draw professional salaries and may be rewarded richly for their work in intangible ways, but they almost never become wealthy by American standards. Salaries depend on each person's education, experience, and specific discipline. Location, the present supply of scientists, and other factors also affect individual salaries. Examples of marine sciences that presently pay above-average salaries are physical oceanography, marine technology and engineering, and computer modeling.