Oceanography | Vol.33, No.3
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Ocean Sciences During the Fall Season:
The End and the Beginning
For those who live in the higher latitudes of the Northern
Hemisphere, the fall season usually marks the end of summer
fieldwork. This year, for some of us, the field season never fully
started or didn’t happen at all, as the coronavirus pandemic
changed the world. Many oceanographers were unable to ven-
ture out to sea, take samples, and observe and record environ-
mental conditions. We could not proudly look back on a new
discovery or an exciting data set that should prove our hypothe-
sis or provide new insights into an ocean process. We could not
deploy a new set of autonomous instruments to collect contin-
uous observations and celebrate its success. In a pre-pandemic
world, we would now be looking forward to working up field
data in our offices and laboratories and repairing and refurbish-
ing instruments. Maybe we would also be catching our breath
and reflecting on the season.
The pandemic has noticeably impacted many other aspects
of our work. During late spring, access to laboratories was sig-
nificantly restricted, and our intricate plans for the summer
field season were falling apart. New plans needed to be made
quickly and were obsolete again a short time later. We needed
to be flexible and were constantly adjusting the way we perform
our science. We felt exhausted before the field season began,
not knowing if, in fact, it even would begin. Instantly, most of
our communications were switched to digital media. There was
no sharing of a coffee, no bumping into a colleague randomly,
no chitchats with students and staff. Hope for a quick return to
“normal” gave way to the realization that the global pandemic
will be with us for many months to come.
Today, we are still weary. The field season was barely produc-
tive. We participate in a seemingly endless stream of online meet-
ings. We are tired of staring at the computer screen and long for
those days in the field and when we could meet in person with
colleagues. Although we move less physically, the rapid switch-
ing from online meeting to online meeting leaves us breathless
and exhausted. We simply need a break from it all.
On the other hand, the fall season also marks a beginning. It
is typically when many expert gatherings happen where we share
our discoveries and discuss and debate our science with col-
leagues. It is also the time to publish and teach. Moreover, it is
a time to begin planning for the next field season and assemble
new teams, establish new partnerships, and sketch out a new proj-
ect or experimental setup. The anticipation of the next summer’s
field season with better sensors or more instruments, a new ship
or platform, or a more promising location keeps us optimistic.
Fall is also a good time to consider our plans for ocean sci-
ences in the coming years and post-pandemic times. As a result
of the pandemic, TOS learned how to run electronic meetings
efficiently. We’ve had more TOS Council meetings than in past
years, with much greater attendance. We miss the social inter-
actions, but our meetings are now shorter, with stringent agen-
das, and the frequent use of electronic voting tools helps to
rapidly come to consensus. There seems little desire to go back
to in-person Council meetings.
What have we accomplished at TOS? We have established
three new awards—TOS Mentoring, TOS Early Career, and
TOS Ocean Observing—and have grown our student member-
ship dramatically. We have also used this year to reflect gener-
ally on the ocean science community engaged in TOS. Have we
succeeded in connecting to and fully embracing new opportu-
nities? As a first step in reaching out further, the TOS Council
established three new Council positions: one to bring in the per-
spective of the early career scientist, one to engage deeper with
the ocean data and informatics community, and one to enhance
connections with the areas of social science, ocean policy, and
ocean governance. We also considered the broad profile of
our TOS membership and the ocean sciences community and
determined that TOS does not fully reflect the diversity of the
greater society. We established a JEDI committee that is charged
with making concrete suggestions to advance issues of justice,
equity, diversity, and inclusion. The committee will support the
TOS community in embracing and celebrating our differences,
broadening participation, and creating a culture of belonging.
Moreover, we are engaging in deep discussions about the future
of our Ocean Sciences Meetings, with the next one scheduled
for 2022 in Hawai‘i. What is the optimal mix of in-person and
remote participation? How will the business model shift? How
can we best support our TOS and ocean sciences communities?
Looking back over 2020, we mourn a partially missed field
season, personal hardships, and significant disruptions. At
The Oceanography Society, we have only partially completed
our TOS 2030 Strategy process. But once the winter season
wanes, we expect that all of us will feel energized and ready for
a new ocean science season. We look forward to deeply engag-
ing with our membership to develop an exciting, innovative,
impactful, and inclusive TOS Strategy 2030 in order to shape the
future of our Society.
Martin Visbeck, TOS President