Fluid flow in the ocean is strongly influenced by rotation of the planet and density stratification. Consequently, the flow consists of an intertwined mixture of fast propagating waves and slow evolving vortices or eddies. State-of-the-art numerical models are still far from resolving the wide range of spatio-temporal scales that constitute the flow. This calls for the derivation and implementation of simple, reduced mathematical models that can capture important dynamic features of the flow at various scales, while being numerically inexpensive and efficient. In this talk I will present a set of reduced models that capture important features of oceanic waves, vortices, and the nonlinear dynamics resulting from their interactions.