Preface

The original motivation for producing this book was a comment and question from a young student visiting the Department of Oceanography at the University of Southampton; ‘I couldn’t find anything in the bookshops to tell me what oceanography is, so what is it?’ Our purpose here is to provide some answers, to explain the science, and to express some of the delight and the privilege we feel in being involved in it. Chapters are written in a variety of styles, but all, we hope, are at a level at which a science undergraduate should have no difficulty in understanding; the book contains a wealth of information and guides to further reading, which all should find of interest and informative. This book is not directed at any particular teaching course, but provides much which will supplement courses in environmental science.