This depends on the type of oceanography that you are studying as well as the background of the student. There is no point in picking up a geophysical fluid dynamics textbook with no background in calculus. read more
The USA has two Sea Grant colleges that receive government funding to teach oceanography, and are considered the best. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, and MIT’s Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. read more
With plenty of pictures, the book is engaging and great way to learn more about the ocean. Source: Barnes&Noble. 3. Citizens of the Sea: Wondrous Creatures From the Census of Marine Life. This book does not directly discuss oceanography, but rather the creatures that live in the ocean. read more