Associate Professor David Smith, chairman of the Naval Academy’s oceanography department, center, gives local educators Jeff Lawrence and Ruthie Harris oceanographic experience aboard the Academy’s research vessel, YP 686. USNA photo by Martha Thorn.

Most traditional oceanography programs focus on marine science or marine biology, whereas the academy’s program focuses on the physical aspects and attributes of oceanography - waves, tides, currents, and water’s physical properties - according to Associate Professor David Smith, chairman of the Naval Academy’s oceanography department.

''The Navy is interested in why the ocean behaves the way it behaves. That’s where naval officers operate,'' said Smith. ''They’re interested in the surface of the water because that’s where the ships are. The aircraft carrier and aviation bring together the interaction of oceanography and meteorology -- the effects on the ocean and the atmosphere.''

Smith also explained that oceanography plays a direct role in where and how submarines, Marines, and SEALs operate.

Some oceanography majors get a firsthand experience in the applicability of their major during summer training.

''The Midshipmen get their shipboard experience, plus the added experience of standing a science watch and collecting and analyzing physical, biological and meteorological data,'' said Lt. Cmdr. Shelly Whisenhant, coordinator of the oceanography cruise.

The Midshipmen usually visit the Helicopter Training School, where oceanographic sensors help detect mines, and the Marine Science International, where the Midshipmen can practice their ship driving skills on simulators. Some oceanography majors take advantage of internships, which can include working with dolphins or hurricane hunters, or even taking a Coast Guard icebreaker to Antarctica.

''Spending a few days on the ice in Antarctica is a life-altering experience,'' Smith said. ''The Midshipmen who have gone are just amazed.''

Unique opportunities aside, Smith said all of the Academy’s oceanography majors receive a lot of practical experience at the Academy. In addition to the Academy’s oceanographic research vessel, Yard Patrol Craft (YP) 686, Midshipmen also have access to the Chesapeake Bay and the Hendrix Oceanography Laboratory, a multi-function enclosure that features a wet laboratory. That vast array of oceanographic resources provides Midshipmen with a variety of research opportunities.

In the past two years, oceanography has had several research students and one Trident Scholar, a Midshipman especially selected to conduct independent research during his or her senior year at the Academy. These Midshipmen worked on several studies to better understand the Chesapeake Bay.

''The purpose of our observation sites is to provide data to better define the bay so we can do a better job of modeling the bay,'' Smith said.

Compared to physics and chemistry, a certain degree of uncertainty exists in meteorology and oceanography.

''Change is constantly taking place,'' Smith said. ''Astronomers can predict where the planets are going to be. That’s an exact science, but meteorology and oceanography are inexact. We have to adapt to constantly changing conditions. We know the laws that govern the behavior, but conditions are always changing. It’s very difficult to make predictions, which makes it interesting, challenging and frustrating.''