Ocean Engineering

Ocean engineers are responsible for designing, building, and testing instrumentation and equipment that can withstand the harsh conditions of the ocean environment.[1] It is a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical, electrical, civil, acoustical, and chemical engineering elements with oceanography and other marine sciences.[2] Ocean engineering is a vital link between all the various branches of oceanography (geological, chemical, and physical) and marine sciences (marine biology, marine microbiology, coastal and estuarine science).[3] It also plays a vital role in the energy (both oil and gas and renewable), military, marine navigation, environmental protection, pollution, and waste disposal sectors.

Innovations in instrumentation and research equipment design made by ocean engineers have significantly advanced the field of oceanography by enabling oceanographers to push the limits of exploration into more remote and deeper parts of the ocean. These innovations have contributed to significant oceanographic discoveries, including deep-sea hydrothermal vents, ocean volcanoes, underwater mountain chains, previously unknown species, and various biological, chemical, geographical, and physical processes.[4] However, ocean engineering is not a branch of oceanography itself, as oceanography is concerned with the natural aspects of the ocean, while ocean engineering is concerned with the design and operations of artificial systems in the ocean.[5]

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Although closely related, ocean engineering should not be confused with naval architecture or marine (sometimes called “naval”) engineering. Naval architecture involves the art and science of designing boats and ships to perform the missions and to meet the requirements laid down by the prospective owners and operators. [6] Marine engineering involves constructing and maintaining any floating structure that moves under its own power.[7] Simply put, naval architects design the vessels, and marine engineers create the systems that bring the vessels to life. And while ocean engineers are often required to carry out their job functions at sea on ships, rigs, or submersibles in sometimes hazardous conditions, naval architects, in contrast, spend most of their time on dry land.

Coastal Engineering

One area of ocean engineering that is gaining attention these days due to climate change and the resulting rise in sea levels and storm intensity is coastal engineering. Coastal engineers are responsible for designing, constructing, and maintaining coastal structures. Their objectives include “management of shoreline erosion; improvement of navigation channels and harbors; protection against flooding brought on by storms, tides, and even seismically triggered waves (tsunamis); improvement of coastal recreation; and management of pollution in nearby marine environments.”[8] As both the near-term and long-term effects of climate change become more pronounced, the need for coastal engineers to develop viable long-term solutions will increase as well.

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Citations

1. Ocean Engineer, Sounds of the Sea.
2. Ocean Engineer, Sounds of the Sea.
3. Ocean Engineering, Marine Career, A Sea Grant Guide to Ocean Opportunities.
4. Ocean Engineering, Marine Insight.
5. Ocean Engineering, Marine Career, A Sea Grant Guide to Ocean Opportunities.
6. Naval Architecture, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
7. Naval Architecture vs Naval Engineering vs Marine Engineering vs Ocean Engineering, Marine Insight.
8. What is Coastal Engineering?, The Godfrey Hoffman Hodge Blog.