Meaning & use
oceanographer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A scientist who studies the oceans, including their currents, chemistry, living things and the shape of the sea floor.
Grammar: Countable: an oceanographer, several oceanographers.
Patterns
- an oceanographer at a university
- a physical oceanographer
The oceanographer measured the temperature of the water at different depths.
An oceanographer from the university joined the research ship.
She became an oceanographer because she loved the sea.
Word forms
| plural | oceanographers |
|---|
Common combinations
- marine oceanographer
- A marine oceanographer studies the sea.
- physical oceanographer
- The physical oceanographer tracked the current.
- leading oceanographer
- A leading oceanographer gave a lecture.
- become an oceanographer
- He wants to become an oceanographer.
- oceanographer says
- One oceanographer says the oceans are warming.
Synonyms and how they differ
- marine scientist
- Marine scientist is broader and can include biologists as well as oceanographers.
- marine biologist
- A marine biologist studies sea life only, while an oceanographer studies the whole ocean.
- hydrographer
- A hydrographer maps water depth and coasts, often for navigation.
- limnologist
- A limnologist studies lakes and fresh water, not the oceans.
Word family
- oceanography noun
- the study of the oceans
- oceanographic adjective
- relating to oceanography
- ocean noun
- a very large body of salt water
- oceanic adjective
- relating to the ocean
Commonly confused: oceanographer or marine biologist?
oceanographer vs marine biologist
A marine biologist studies living things in the sea, while an oceanographer studies the whole ocean.
Practice
Who would most likely measure ocean currents and the chemistry of seawater?
Choose one answer.
An oceanographer studies the sea, including currents and chemistry. A meteorologist studies weather.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “oceanographer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.