Oceanography has moved into the spotlight of urgent social concern, because of the oceans’ impact on issues such as global climate change, biodiversity, and even national security. This new volume points to improved partnerships between ocean scientists, federal agencies, and the oceanographic institutions as the key to understanding the oceans and their effects on our lives. Oceanography in the Next Decade outlines pressing marine research problems and offers recommendations for how they may be solved, with detailed discussions of: how oceanographic research is currently conducted; recent discoveries and research needs in four subdisciplines - physical, chemical, geological, and biological; coastal oceanography, which is important because of growing coastal populations; the infrastructure of oceanography, with a wealth of information about human, equipment, and financial resources; and a blueprint for more productive partnerships between academic oceanographers and federal agencies. This comprehensive look at challenges and opportunities in oceanography will be important to researchers, faculty, and students in the field, as well as federal policymakers, research administrators, and environmental professionals.