WHAT IS OCEAN ENGINEERING Working in oceans comes with many challenges The waters are deep and often far from land Humans cannot survive in great depths without help Ocean engineers solve these problems They design technologies to help people explore and benefit from oceans We know more about how Earth formed climate change and marine life thanks to ocean engineering solutions These include imaging sensors that monitor ocean environments robotic vessels that work at different depths and offshore structures Steps in the EIGHT STEPS TO SUCCESS process design Define the problem The design process is a series of steps Ocean engineers follow them to build develop and test solutions for working in the deep sea Identify criteria and constraints Engineers may focus on one or more steps in the design process Brainstorm ideas Select a solution Build a prototype Improve the design Test the prototype This mini submarine helps people explore marine life on a coral reef Share the solution
Engineers and scientists Ocean engineers work with scientists called oceanographers These scientists study the animals materials and processes found in oceans Engineers use their understanding of oceans to come up with solutions that allow scientists to do their research For example ocean engineers find ways to study conditions in remote areas of oceans They develop tools that measure and collect data These tools attach to S buoys designed to float on the ocean s surface Addi a device that sends the data allows scientists to observe the conditions from land DR KATE MORAN This buoy helped scientists study changes in the Arctic Ocean Dr Moran told Seaside Magazine what she loves about ocean engineering is the fact you can take practical tools and apply them to important ocean science problems Canadian American Dr Kate Moran leads Ocean Networks Canada It runs abservatories in the Pacifc Ocean of the coast of British Columbia Dr Moran was introduced to acean engineering by her schoolteacher The Subject combined her interest in oceans Science and math Dr Moran went on to become an expert ocean engineer She led the first team to investigate the underwater earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 Dr Moran has also advised the United States government on issues related to oceans In 2010 her team came up with solutions after a deep water drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico caused massive dam rage to marine life They suggested ways to stop the Alow of oil into the ocean and prevent further
ZONES AND LANDFORMS Five connected oceans cover more than two thirds of the planet Did you know they contain most of Earth's life forms They also have about 97 percent of the planet s water The oceans are vital to human survival These global waters affect climates They hold natural resources and information about Earth s materials and processes However most of the oceans remain unexplored Technologies designed by ocean engineers help humans discover more about ocean waters and landforms Studying the seafloor Some scientists research how Earth formed by studying landforms on the seafloor Earth's top layers called the crust and the upper mantle divide into massive tectonic plates that cover the planet Thermal energy or heat from inside Earth shifts them very slowly As they move magna escapes through the plate boundaries The magma builds up over time to underwater form mountain chains called mid ocean ridges when sea water seeps through cracks in the surrounding Crust magma heats it The hot water mixes with minerals Hydrothermal fiuid to create hydrothermal Aluid This Aluid shooting through shoots back up through vents Hydrothermal vents a vent looks like to smoke when it hits and other parts of the seafloor are challenging cold ocean water study engineers design deep sea vessels and Ocean sampling tools to help scientists explore
Mid ocean ridges marked in red connect to form the longest mountain range on Earth It is close to 37 000 miles 60 000 km long Ocean cross section Ocean zones are stacked layers with different depths and characteristics Ocean engineers design submersible cameras sensors and other tools that work well in the specific conditions of each area The epipelagic zone is the warmest sunlit layer Winds move the waters in this layer It is home to most marine mammals Continental shelf 650 ft 3 300 ft The mesopelagic zone has less light as it gets deeper The greatest temperature drop occurs in this zone 6 600 ft 10 000 ft Continental slope 13 100 ft 15 000 ft Continental rise 20 000 ft Ocean basin The bathypelagic zone is home to bioluminescent animals Their bodies provide the only light Trench 25 000 ft Few marine animals are found in the abyssopelagic zone or 30 000 ft lower because of the immense pressure of the water pressing down from above 5 000 ft The hadalpelagic zone is in the trenches at plate boundaries These are the deepest coldest and saltiest parts of oceans The pressure in this zone is equal to a person holding 50 large
