This document discusses opportunities for oceanographers in the private sector. It describes the types of private firms and clients that hire oceanographers, including consulting firms, federal and state agencies, and industry. The document also provides examples of projects in the private sector that require oceanographic expertise, such as environmental assessments, modeling, and permitting. Finally, it shares insights from the author's 22 years of experience working as an oceanographer in private consulting, addressing concerns about integrity, qualifications needed, and advantages of private sector work.

1. Oceanography
in the
Private Sector
Michael Tomlinson

2. Where can I find jobs in oceanography
outside of academia?
 Private Consulting Firms (today’s topic)
 Not-for-profit Organizations
 Federal Agencies (e.g., NOAA, MMS, USGS,
USFWS)
 Department of Defense (Navy)
 Interstate and State Agencies
 Regional Agencies
 County and/or City Agencies

3. What type of private sector projects
would require oceanographic expertise?
 Pure Research
 Applied Research
 Environmental Assessments
 Physical and Numerical Model Support
 Feasibility Studies
 Siting Studies (e.g., ocean outfalls)
 Environmental Permitting
 Habitat Restoration

4. Who would be the typical clients in the
private sector?
 Industry (e.g., marinas, power, oil, mining, other
consultants)
 Trade and Non-profit Organizations (e.g., API)
 Federal Agencies (e.g., NOAA, MMS, DoD)
 State Agencies (e.g., Departments of Health or
the Environment)
 Regional Agencies
 City and County Agencies (e.g., ports, WWTPs)

5. North Sea Ekofisk-Bravo Blowout

6. Ekofisk Field (North Sea)

7. Ekofisk Complex (0.8 miles, flare to flare)

8. Catching a lift up
to TOR Platform

9. Hydrography &
Water Chemistry
(CTD/Rosette)

10. Ocean Currents—
Current Meters
(Eulerian)

11. Ocean Currents—(Lagrangian)

13. Zooplankton
Sampling

14. Demersal Fish
Trawling

15. Significant Findings
 Estimated 23,000 tonnes of crude oil spilled in 7½ days
 Studied meteorology, physical oceanography, sediments, water
chemistry, fish, macroinvertebrates, phytoplankton, zooplankton,
marine birds and mammals, oil spill modeling
 Oil spill components generally remained near Ekofisk
 Water column n-alkanes (possibly associated with spill) up to 5.5 µg/L
measured immediately after oil spill (historical range: 0.3-7.1 µg/L)
 Undegraded hydrocarbons in sediments decreased from 8 ppm (by
weight) in May to 1 ppm in May of next year
 Benthic macroinvertebrates affected by industrial development
 No observable effects of oil spill on zooplankton
 No apparent effect of the oil on fish health or distribution
 A few isolated marine bird mortalities resulted from oil spill
 Model worst case conditions--oil could have reached land in 4 days

16. Affects of Crude &
Dispersed Crude Oil
on Arabian Corals

17. Study Area—Arabian
(Persian) Gulf

18. Jurayd Island

19. Dispersant/Oil
Containment
Test Structure

20. Deploying Test Structures

23. Significant Findings
 No visible effects to corals after 1 year following a 24-hour
exposure to crude oil, dispersant, or dispersant + crude oil
 Stressed (bleached) corals were unable to survive the winter
after 5-day exposure to dispersant + crude oil
 Coral growth and colonization appeared unaffected by exposure
to crude oil, dispersant, or dispersant + crude oil
 Implies that healthy corals can tolerate a 1- to 5-day exposure
with no observable effects provided:
 Oil spill is not massive
 Dispersant is applied properly
 Did not test for disproportionate amounts of dispersant in
shallow water or spill occurring during winter

24. U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll
SFOTS Environmental Assessment

25. USAKA Submarine Fiber Optic
Transmission System (SFOTS)

28. Corridor
Selection
for Roi-Namur

29. Significant Findings
 Judicious corridor selection greatly reduced potential for impacts
to sensitive reef communities
 No endangered species (e.g., Tridacna spp.) in corridors
 Construction only temporarily affected aquatic and terrestrial
plants and animals
 No impacts to historical or pre-historical sites
 Minor air and water quality impacts during construction caused
by fugitive dust and runoff, respectively
 No socioeconomic or human health effects during construction
or operation of SFOTS

30. Suwannee Estuary
Salmonella Study

32. Effect of WWTP on Salmonella Occurrence

33. Effect of WWTP on Fecal Coliform

34. Climatic Differences Between
1996 & 1997 (El Niño)

35. Significant Findings
 The Town of Suwannee relied on 850 septic tanks, most of
which were not in compliance with state requirements
 OCT97-- WWTP with land disposal was brought online
 Study was conducted prior to and following WWTP operation
 Salmonella was always present in the river channel and was
occasionally present in the Town of Suwannee canals
 More occurrences of Salmonella in canals after construction of
WWTP than prior to construction (36.7% vs. 13.8%)
 Pre- and post-construction Salmonella occurrences in the river
were comparable
 Average fecal coliform counts in canals ~3X higher than river
and exceeded Florida Class III standards (800 MPN/100 mL)
 Climate and river conditions differed considerably during the
pre- (1996) and post-construction (1997, El Niño) years

36. Southwest Florida
Shelf Benthic
Ecosystems Study

37. Hydrography (CTD and
Niskin Bottles with DSRTs)

38. Underwater TV &
Benthic Still Camera

39. Otter Trawl &
Triangular Dredge

40. Instrumented Array

41. Array Deployment
& Servicing

42. Instrumented Array
Components

43. GoM Natural Phenomena—Hurricanes

44. Tropical Storm Effects on Currents

45. GoM Natural Phenomena—Loop Current

46. Loop Current &
the
USNS America

47. Summary of Cross-shelf
Benthic Characteristics

48. Significant Findings
 Sediment hydrocarbons primarily terrigenous and marine biogenic
Sediment hydrocarbons in deeper water attributed to pelagic tars
transported by Loop Current
 Loop Current dominates circulation on shelf—can double current
speeds and reverse directions, cause upwelling, & cause a 2-4 ºC
temperature rise
 Hurricanes affect near-surface currents & increase sediment
resuspension
 Soft-bottom infauna composition (primarily polychaetes) controlled by:
1) depth & 2) sediments
 Live-bottom communities cover 30% of the shelf; distribution
controlled by substrate type, sediment deposition, & light
 Thin, transitory sands over hard substrate favor gorgonians, algae,
antipatharians, large sponges, scleractinian corals
 Many demersal fish favor areas of low relief to areas with no relief
 15 valued ecosystem components (VECs) modeled to assess impacts
 Created matrix summarizing oil & gas development impacts to VECs

49. What skills are especially valuable in
the private sector?
 Ability to write well & quickly
 Ability to organize, schedule, & meet deadlines
 Resourceful, flexible, & not too specialized
 Ability to manage projects & keep them on-
schedule and on-budget
 Proficiency with some type of word processing,
spreadsheet, & graphics software
 Proficiency with other software (e.g., GIS,
presentation software, mathematical or modeling
software)

50. What degree is required and will a
PhD price me out of the market?
 Depending on your responsibilities, your degree
could range from an AA to a PhD.
 I would recommend an MS but much can be
done with a BS as evidenced by my 22 years in
consulting.
 No, a PhD does not price you out of the market.
Many firms are looking for PhDs, especially to
manage projects.

51. What are the advantages &
disadvantages of working in the
private sector?
Advantages
 Exciting
 Good pay
 A lot of travel
 Independence
 Variety
Disadvantages
 Long hours
 Tight deadlines
 Too much travel
 Not much time to
keep abreast in your
field

52. Will my integrity be compromised?
 In a reputable firm (most are reputable)—NO! If
you lose your credibility you lose your
customers.
 Your reports, while they may be prepared for a
private client, are usually reviewed (&
scrutinized) by government agencies & the
public.
 Often agency and public reviews of consultant
documents are more comprehensive & rigorous
than reviews required for refereed journals.

53. Will I ever work with a university?
 If you are smart, you will; universities can be
valuable resources.
 Universities can provide very specialized
experts consulting firms cannot afford to hire.
 Some services provided by universities (boats,
laboratory analyses, etc.) are less expensive
than the private sector.
 Universities can provide cutting-edge
technology.
 Often university faculty are perceived as experts
in their specialized field (and they often are).

54. Oceanography, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure!