Oceanography is the study of the physical and biological aspects of the ocean. It is an important Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within: astronomy, biology, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology and physics. Paleoceanography studies the history of the oceans in the geologic past.Branches:-

1. Biological oceanography

2. Chemical oceanography

3. Geological oceanography

4. Physical oceanography

5. Paleoceanography

About the AuthorNamed Outstanding Marine Educator by the National Marine Technology Society, Tom Garrison writes market-leading textbooks that enliven students' interest in the ocean, and he contributes a regular column on oceanography education for the journal "Oceanography." His knowledge, combined with a gift for engaging writing, has garnered Tom an Emmy Award for his work on the "Oceanus" television course and a prestigious Excellence in College Teaching Award from the Salgo-Noren Foundation. The success of the "Oceanus" television course has led to the recent development of a new telecourse, "The Endless Voyage" produced by Intelecom, with Garrison again serving as a writer and science advisor for that program. Tom's texts, born out of his desire to share his excitement about the ocean with others, are widely used at colleges and universities throughout North America, Asia, and Australia. His oceanography texts have allowed him to stimulate the minds and imaginations of hundreds of thousands of oceanography students over the last decade.