What does it take to work in oceanography?

I'm a recently graduated software engineer with a comp sci bachelors and have always had some interest in the ocean. Company just did layoffs and I've been feeling the desire to explore things I'm more interested in as I become more disillusioned with the industry I joined(too early in life for this?). In my free time these days I've been looking into institutions like mbari and whoi and thought they seemed like interesting and fulfilling places to work. I'm wondering what it would take to be able to work at a place like those with my background and what path I would need to take? I think working on those ocean robots is super cool and I'd love to be involved in studying ocean creatures!