Careers in the Marine and Maritime Field
Physical Scientist- NOAA Office of Coast Survey V itad Pradith kn ew he had found the right career th e first day he stepped onto th e boat. "Th e myri ad computers, sensors and devi ces needed to run the equipment are like somethin g out of a Nati onal Geographic underwater research expedition. In this fi eld, you are always working w ith the latest and greatest available techno logies." V itad is a physical scientist for the National O ceani c and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey. \litad Pradith His specialty is hydrography, th e science behind surveying and the charting of bodies of water. Hydrographers use remote sensing techniques, such as sonar, to make maps of the seafl oor. Vi tad explains, " NOAA is responsible for produci ng nauti ca l charts of the United States and its territories. A nautica l chart is akin to a road map of th e sea, w hich marin ers use to navi gate waterways." Th e Office of Coast Survey also resp o nds to natural di sasters, such as hurricanes, to quickly scan ports for obstructi ons and debris so that waterway traffic can resume. About 40% of Vitad 's job is in th e fi eld out on research ships and boats; th e tim e he spends in th e office allows him to keep up w ith th e latest po licies, processes, and techno logies th at affect th e stud y and management of the ocea ns. He th en uses thi s info rm ation to resea rch, develop, and procure new tools th at might be used towards seafloor mapping and/or emergency response operati ons. Thi s research is th en brought to the fi eld wh ere he evaluates its usefulness in scientific operations, from sonar eva luati ons to implementing new techniques. Vitad developed hi s passion fo r science and resea rch in college, w here he studi ed physical geography, and later in graduate school, w here he got his degree in Geospacial Sciences. Ironica lly, it was his terrestri al (land-based) skill s th at landed him the job on the water. "My exposure and experiences working in different fi elds had made me fa miliar wi th Global Positioning Systems (G PS), computer programming, and info rmati on technology (IT). Th ese technologies and skill s are w hat opened th e doo r Field work for Vitad often involves going on a research ship, which uses a into th e marin e world. It was an easy multibeam echo sounder to conduct hydrographic surveys of the seafloor. transition because th e skill sets were the same, all I had to do was to just add w ater! " Vi tad's experi ence has taught him that intern ships, work study, and part-tim e jobs are invaluable, even wh en th ey are outside of your major. " I once took a coll ege work-study job in the IT field supporting an academic help desk. I ca me aw ay with hard skill sets th at were not only technica l, but also soft skill sets by learnin g how to approac h people and learnin g how to ask th e ri ght questions." -1-
NGet comfortable being uncomfortable! Science as a field of study will always make you ask tough questions. Be inquisitive, focused, but thoughtful. More importantly, in science, failure is always an option!" - Vitad Pradith