Career and Education Resources
Looking to gain a better sense of the field or next steps towards pursuing a career? Explore pathways that help you build the knowledge, skills, and connections needed for success in ocean science, technology, and policy. Below you’ll find academic programs, professional networks, and resources to support growth at every stage. Note that external opportunities listed here are shared as examples and are not exhaustive or endorsements.
Want to Learn More About Ocean Exploration?
Career Paths and Profiles
Check out the resources below to explore different career paths, get a feel for the day-to-day work of ocean scientists, and read profiles of professionals across the field.
- Ocean Exploration Career Profiles
- NOAA Career Profiles
- NOAA National Ocean Service Careers
- NOAA Fisheries Careers
- Ocean Exploration Trust Corps of Exploration Careers
- Schmidt Ocean Institute Careers at Sea
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Meet MBARI
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Career Profiles & Interviews
- Sea Grant Guide to Ocean Opportunities
Webinar Series
Enhance your technical skills and scientific knowledge through professional development opportunities, training series, and expert-led seminars.
- NOAA Ocean Exploration Webinars: See previous webinars with NOAA Ocean Exploration staff and partners covering a range of ocean exploration topics.
- NOAA Science Seminar Series: Weekly presentations featuring cutting-edge research and updates from across NOAA’s scientific community.
- NOAA ‘Omics Seminar Series: Monthly seminars highlighting ‘omics research currently underway within and outside NOAA.
- Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA) Monthly Webinar Series: Monthly webinars focused on science, professional development, and community-building across the deep-sea research community.
Volunteer and Citizen Science
For those looking for less formal involvement, NOAA and our partners offer volunteer and citizen science opportunities that allow you to contribute to real-world ocean research and data collection from wherever you are.
- NOAA Citizen Science Opportunities: Explore dozens of opportunities to contribute to research and outreach across NOAA labs, programs, and mission areas.
- BOEM Citizen Science Opportunities: Advance BOEM’s work by contributing to projects that address knowledge gaps about the oceans, and the species and habitats within them.
- Smithsonian Volunteer Opportunities: Participate in a wide range of Smithsonian research projects — both onsite and online. Volunteers can help conserve and catalog artifacts and specimens, digitize records, or even contribute to water quality and invasive species monitoring in their local regions.
- FathomVerse: Annotate real underwater imagery in this interactive game to support ocean exploration data analysis. Led by FathomNet and MBARI.
- Zooniverse: Identify species and ground cover in images of the seafloor to help create a library of seafloor life in the habitats along the northeast continental shelf. Led by Citizen Science Alliance, Adler Planetarium, and the University of Oxford.
Want to Further Your Education and Training?
Academic Programs
Discover academic programs that prepare undergraduate and graduate students for technical and research careers in ocean exploration science and mapping:
- University of New Hampshire – Center for Ocean and Coastal Mapping, Joint Hydrographic Center
- University of Rhode Island – Graduate School of Oceanography
- University of Southern Mississippi – Hydrographic Science Research Center
- University of California San Diego – Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- University of California San Diego – Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology
- Cape Fear Community College – Marine Technology Program
- College of Charleston – Benthic Acoustic Mapping and Survey (BEAMS) Program
- East Carolina University – Maritime Studies Program
- Oregon State University – College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
- Texas A&M University – Nautical Archaeology Program
- University of Washington – School of Oceanography
- University of West Florida – Maritime Archaeology Program
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute – MIT-WHOI Joint Program
Certificates and Training
This section highlights certificate programs, short courses, and hands-on training opportunities that help you improve technical skills, gain field experience, and stay current with evolving tools and methods in the ocean exploration community.
Mapping and Hydrography
- Multibeam Acquisition Fundamentals Course: Learn the basics of multibeam sonar systems, from data collection to processing, for seafloor mapping and hydrographic surveying.
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Category A Hydrographic Certification: Earn globally recognized certification in hydrographic surveying, meeting IHO Category A standards for seafloor mapping and chart production. Also available through the University of New Hampshire and the University of Southern Mississippi.
- U.S. Hydrographer Certification: Provides professional recognition for hydrographers that meet established education, training, and experience requirements. Administered by the Technical Hydrographic Surveyor’s Certification Program of the National Society of Professional Surveyors
- Nippon Foundation-General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) Training Program
- HYPACK Training Courses and Seminars
Technical and Field Training
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Workshops: NCAR offers training and tutorials on diverse topics, such as modeling, computing and data, and more.
- Nautical Archaeology Society: Explore a range of online, in-person, and field courses focused on maritime heritage and archaeology.
Education Professional Development
NOAA Ocean Exploration Educator Professional Development: Hands-on workshops designed to help educators integrate ocean exploration into classroom and community programs.
Professional At-Sea Opportunities
Gain firsthand experience conducting ocean research and exploration at sea. These programs place professional scientists, artists, and educators aboard active research vessels to learn, collaborate, and contribute to ongoing expeditions.
- NOAA Teacher at Sea Program
- Ocean Exploration Trust Science Communication Fellowship
- OceanX Early Career Explorers Program
- NSF-UNOLS Chief Scientist Training Cruise Program
- Schmidt Ocean Institute Artist-at-Sea Program
Want to Expand Your Network?
Professional Societies
Connect with professional communities that support networking, mentorship, and continued learning in ocean science and exploration. Many of these organizations host conferences, workshops, and other events to engage with peers in the field, and maintain job boards and newsletters with career opportunities.
- Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology
- American Academy of Underwater Sciences
- American Geophysical Union
- Black in Marine Science
- Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative
- International Hydrographic Organization
- Marine Technology Society
- National Marine Educators Association
- Society for Women in Marine Science
- Society for Historical Archaeology
- The Hydrographic Society of America
- The Oceanography Society
Mentoring and Networking Programs
Connect with experienced professionals through formal and informal mentoring opportunities that support career exploration, skill development, and professional growth in ocean science, technology, and policy. These programs provide guidance, networking, and insight across career stages.
- American Geophysical Union (AGU) Mentoring and Career Guidance Programs
- The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) Multicultural Program
- Cientifico Latino
- Geosciences Education & Mentorship Support (GEMS)
- Marine Technology Society (MTS) Emerge Program
- Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women to Increase Retention (MPOWIR)
- Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) Mentoring Program
- STEM Advancement for Community, Research, Education, and Development (SACNAS) Mentoring Programs
- United Nations Ocean Decade Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) Mentoring Programmes
Questions and Contact
For internship, career, and student opportunities inquiries, contact the Internship Coordinator at oer.internships@noaa.gov. For general questions or more information about NOAA Ocean Exploration, email oceanexplorer@noaa.gov.