Question

Why is oceanography considered an interdisciplinary science?

Answer 1

Oceanography is considered interdisciplinary because it draws from multiple scientific fields.

Explanation:

Oceanography, the branch of science that studies the physical and biological properties of the ocean, is considered interdisciplinary because it draws from multiple scientific fields. For example, marine science, biology, genetics, paleontology, earth science, geology, chemistry, physics, geography, mathematics, and more.

If an oceanographer is mapping the ocean floor and trying to understand what species live where, that he will rely on geology to study the actual floor of the ocean, he will rely on biology to study the organisms themselves, and he will rely on geography to study the spatial relationships.

Or if an oceanographer is studying ocean acidification, she may use chemistry to understand why the oceans are becoming more acidic, she may use geology to study ocean acidification in the past, and she may also use engineering to understand what solutions have been proposed to slow or halt the acidification of our oceans.

Thus, like many fields of science, oceanographers rely on many fields to answer their study questions.