Oceanography (compound of the Greek words meaning "ocean" and  "write"), also known as oceanology, is the study of the physical and the biological aspects of the ocean.

It is an Earth science covering a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries.

These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within: astronomy, biology, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology and physics.

Paleoceanography studies the history of the oceans in the geologic past