Sea Base - Merit Badges - Oceanography Merit Badge

Are you going on the Sea Base high adventure Florida Keys, Bahamas, St. Thomas sailing, snorkeling trip and thinking, I'll bet I could do most of the requirements for the Oceanography Merit Badge? You are RIGHT! Here's what you could get learn about and - possibly - get signed off on the fOceanography Merit Badge, if your counselor is present!

Be sure to get your Blue Card and a counselor assigned BEFORE you leave for Sea Base! Then document completion of anything you do on the trip. Be prepared to show your counselor photos, if he or she is not there with you, whenever possible, to demonstrate you competency and completion of requirements.

Note - we are NOT affiliated with BSA or Sea Base, just scouts and scouters trying to help other scouts and scouters!

Oceanography Merit Badge

You can find and print to bring with you,

The requirements below are almost exactly what you’ll be doing all week, anyway, so this is a perfect merit badge to work on at Sea Base.

✅ Oceanography Requirements you can likely complete at Sea Base

Below is a summary and checklist. See the pamphlet or workbook above for details. Learn, during the trip, about those you must later explain to you counselor.

The captain of your boat may know about many of these things and be willing to explain them to you.

⚠ Remaining requirements (less likely or need extra work - do before or after Sea Base)

These are usually discussion-based and may need a counselor session, such as any that say explain or describe, BUT you can LEARN enough during Sea Base about these to do them when get home. So, which requirements you can complete will likely depend upon what counselors and are present on your boat or with your group or crew as well as what their background and experience is. Be sure to document anything you discuss with them and learn from them so that you can clearly explain it to your assigned merit badge counselor when you return

�� OceanographyChecklist��

This is only a checklist and a summary of requirements - you must see the BSA pamphlet or workbook for the detailed requirements!

Req	Description	Done	Initials
1	Name four branches of oceanography; describe at least five reasons oceans are important
2	Explain salinity, temperature, density; how measured; discuss currents and ocean effects on weather and climate
3a	Distinguish storm surge, tsunami, tidal wave, and tidal bore
3b	Explain differences between sea, swell, and surf
3c	Explain how breakers are formed
3d	Explain rip currents, how to avoid them, and what to do if caught
4a–c	Draw seafloor cross-section; label features; explain continental shelf, slope, abyssal plain; compare ocean depths to land elevations
5	List salts, gases, nutrients; describe water properties; explain biological and evaporation effects on salinity
6	Describe biologically important properties; define benthos, nekton, plankton; explain phytoplankton role
7 (Choose 1)	Complete one project: plankton study, reef/atoll model, water measurements/graph, sediment model, wave tank, or satellite tracking
8 (Choose 1)	Complete one: 500-word book report, visit/report, or 5-minute speech on oceanography topic/careers
9	Describe four methods marine scientists use to study the ocean, geology, and organisms