Oceanography Merit Badge
Nine requirements. Most are explanations: branches of oceanography, seawater, waves and rip currents, the sea floor (with a drawing), marine life and how scientists study the ocean. Requirement 7 is ONE of six projects, two of them time-bound: water temperatures four times daily for five days, or satellite images for three weeks. Requirement 8 is a book report, a visit report, or a five-minute speech to your troop with the outline approved first.
The plan behind this
Requirement 7: ONE of six projects
| route | what it asks | how long |
|---|---|---|
| 7(a) | make a plankton net, tow or hold it for about 20 minutes, examine the sample and identify the three most common types of plankton (may be done in lakes or streams) | about 20 minutes of towing |
| 7(b) | a series of models of a volcanic island, showing an atoll growing from a fringing reef through a barrier reef, and the Darwinian theory of coral reef formation | |
| 7(c) | water temperature at the surface, midwater and bottom, with a Secchi disk you make for turbidity, air temperature, cloud cover and roughness, then a graph | four times daily for five consecutive days |
| 7(d) | a model of inshore sediment movement by littoral currents, tides and waves, and how offshore bars are built up and torn down | |
| 7(e) | a wave generator showing reflection and refraction, and the effect of groins, jetties and breakwaters | |
| 7(f) | with your counselor's and parent or guardian's approval and permission, track satellite images of one location on the internet, then describe what you learned | three weeks |
Requirement 8: ONE of three
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 8(a) | a 500-word report on a book about oceanography approved by your counselor |
| 8(b) | visit an oceanographic research ship, or an oceanographic institute, marine laboratory or marine aquarium, and write a 500-word report |
| 8(c) | a five-minute prepared speech to your troop, "Why Oceanography Is Important" or "Career Opportunities in Oceanography"; show the outline to your counselor for approval before the speech |
The rest is explaining
| requirement | about |
|---|---|
| 1 | four branches of oceanography, and five reasons to learn about the oceans |
| 2 | salinity, temperature and density, how they are measured; circulation and currents; the oceans and weather and climate |
| 3 | ocean waves, and four parts: surges, tsunamis, tidal waves and bores; sea, swell and surf; breakers; rip currents |
| 4 | a drawing of a cross-section of underwater topography, with features named and the continental shelf, slope and abyssal plain shown |
| 5 | salts, gases and nutrients in seawater, and what changes its chemistry and salt content |
| 6 | benthos, nekton and plankton, and phytoplankton in the food chain |
| 9 | four methods marine scientists use to investigate the ocean |
What this page is
The Oceanography merit badge, drawn so the two choices in requirements 7 and 8 are drawn as questions, with the time-bound projects and the approvals marked. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Oceanography Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .