ABSTRACT
The Pacific Ocean alone covers 34 percent of our planet or more than all of the land masses put together. The “bucket” that holds the world ocean is the world of marine geology and geophysics. Seawater in the oceans has varying degrees of buoyancy which are influenced by its temperature and salinity. The surface circulation of the world ocean is technically called “wind-driven circulation.” Ocean areas of greatest interest tend to be on and near the continental shelf areas of the ocean world. Ocean engineering is simply the application of science and technology to do useful work in the oceans. Ocean engineering integrates an understanding of the physical, biological, geological, and chemical properties of the oceans into the engineering process, with appropriate accommodations to political, economic, and social factors as well. Many of the ocean engineering gains made in the past century have been driven by national defense needs.
