October 2023 | Oceanography
PMEL research and exploration also foster imagination and fascination with the deep
ocean and all that we might learn about our planet and the origin of life in the coming
years. From contributing to the curation of the spectacular Smithsonian National Museum
of Natural History Sant Ocean Hall to continuing to educate the public about the won-
der of the ocean—PMEL scientists continue to inspire the next generation of scientists and
researchers from the time they are children.
All of these remarkable undertakings cannot be accomplished alone. Co-located with the
NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Fisheries Science Center,
PMEL fosters partnership across the NOAA line offices.
PMEL also works side by side with scientists from three NOAA Cooperative Institutes.
The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) at the
University of Washington is one of the oldest and largest of NOAA’s Cooperative Institutes,
conducting research at the forefront of climate change, ocean processes, and fisheries. The
Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (CIMAR) at the University of
Hawai‘i Mānoa extends NOAA’s work in the Indo-Pacific region, conducting cutting edge
research to inform coastal and marine resource management. The Cooperative Institute for
Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies (CIMERS) at Oregon State University advances
innovative multidisciplinary research in support of the NOAA mission.
Fifty years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that we would know what we do
about the ocean on such a granular level. Getting to where we are today has taken genera-
tions of dedication, innovation, and cooperation from the staff at PMEL. I can only imagine
the knowledge we stand to gain and the advancements we stand to make in the next 50 years.
Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
and NOAA Administrator
ARTICLE DOI: https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.207