Project Description

Project Summary

We will assess the needs for a certification program for oceanographic professional (CPOP) and draft an overview plan for such a certification program. This will be accomplished through surveys, meetings with professional societies, a facilitated workshop, and exploration of the pros and cons of certification programs in similar fields of expertise. A detailed implementation plan, and actual implementation of such a plan, would occur in future phases of an overall CPOP development program.

Background

Certification is a way to recognize that an individual has demonstrated professional competence and integrity in an occupational field. Given the increased attention to the oceans and ocean issues (e.g. Pew Oceans Commission Report, 2003; US Commission on Ocean Policy, 2004; Ocean.US 2004a, 2004b), and the increase in operational oceanography activities that has come with the increase in ocean observing systems, we think the time is right to investigate the development of a certification program for oceanographers. Currently only a very small fraction of what oceanographers do is covered by existing certification programs in related fields, such as meteorology, fisheries, engineering, hydrography and ecology.
Benefits of certification for professional oceanographers could include (cf. Spinrad,2004):

• Ensuring competence among those working with oceanographic information
• Helping prospective employers identify competent applicants
• Defining a professional body of knowledge
• Establishing and maintaining high standards of professional practice and ethical conduct
• Providing guidance for resolving controversies involving oceanography
• Increasing the professionalism of oceanography by encouraging professional
• Increasing the visibility of the oceanographic community
• Broadening career opportunities for oceanographers

The Oceanography Society, among others, has expressed interest in examining the topic of certification for oceanographers. We will survey a wide audience of oceanographic practitioners, managers, professional societies, and users of oceanographic information to determine the interest in establishing a CPOP, and the optimal format for a PCPO.

Needs

Our initial investigations indicate that:

• A professional oceanographic certification program would be very useful to a
  number of oceanographers and to the oceanographic profession in general.
  However, these indications are fairly qualitative and subjective.
• Several professions similar to, or closely related to, oceanography have
  professional certification programs. Our information about these other
  certification programs supports the idea that an oceanographic certification
  program would be useful to oceanographers and the profession in general. They
  also appear to be good models for how an oceanographic certification program
  might be created and administered.
• At least two universities, Rutgers (Glenn et al. 2005) and Texas A&M (DiMarco et
  al. 2006) have recently started Masters / certificate programs in ocean observing
  / technology.
• Some oceanographers have expressed skepticism about the need for, and
  impacts of, an oceanographic certification program. At this point, our indications
  of such skepticism are only anecdotal. The skepticism seems to be based on
  qualitative and subjective assessments of what practicing oceanographers need,
  and how oceanography compares to professions that have certification
  programs. In addition, the skepticism may be based on concerns about additional
  career hurdles being placed in the way of practicing oceanographers.