The scientific study of oceans, including their physical and biological properties, movements, and interactions with the atmosphere.
From Greek okeanos (ocean) + graphia (writing/description). Coined in the mid-19th century as ocean exploration became systematic and scientific.
Oceanography was revolutionized by the HMS Challenger expedition (1872-1876), which discovered over 4,000 new marine species and essentially founded modern ocean science! We still know more about the surface of Mars than our ocean depths.
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