Oceanography

in the

Private Sector Michael Tomlinson

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

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

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)

North Sea Ekofisk-Bravo Blowout

Ekofisk Field (North Sea)

Ekofisk Complex (0.8 miles, flare to flare)

Catching a lift up

to TOR Platform

Hydrography &

Water Chemistry

(CTD/Rosette)

Ocean Currents—

Current Meters

(Eulerian)

Ocean Currents—(Lagrangian)

Zooplankton

Sampling

Demersal Fish

Trawling

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

Affects of Crude &

Dispersed Crude Oil

on Arabian Corals

Study Area—Arabian

(Persian) Gulf

Jurayd Island

Dispersant/Oil

Containment

Test Structure

Deploying Test Structures

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

U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll SFOTS Environmental Assessment

USAKA Submarine Fiber Optic

Transmission System (SFOTS)

Corridor

Selection

for Roi-Namur

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

Suwannee Estuary

Salmonella Study

Effect of WWTP on Salmonella Occurrence

Effect of WWTP on Fecal Coliform

Climatic Differences Between

1996 & 1997 (El Niño)

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

Southwest Florida

Shelf Benthic

Ecosystems Study

Hydrography (CTD and

Niskin Bottles with DSRTs)

Underwater TV &

Benthic Still Camera

Otter Trawl &

Triangular Dredge

Instrumented Array

Array Deployment

& Servicing

Instrumented Array

Components

GoM Natural Phenomena—Hurricanes

Tropical Storm Effects on Currents

GoM Natural Phenomena—Loop Current

Loop Current &

the

USNS America

Summary of Cross-shelf

Benthic Characteristics

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

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)

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.

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

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.

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).

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