Ocean Studies Board

Shirley A. Pomponi (Chair), Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida

Robert G. Bea, University of California, Berkeley

Donald F. Boesch, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge

Jorge E. Corredor, University of Puerto Rico, Lajas

Keith R. Criddle, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau

Mary (Missy) H. Feeley, ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas

Debra Hernandez, Hernandez and Company, Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Robert A. Holman, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Kiho Kim, American University, Washington, DC

Barbara A. Knuth, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Robert A. Lawson, Science Applications International Corporation, San Diego, California

George I. Matsumoto, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California

Jay S. Pearlman, The Boeing Company, Kent, Washington

Andrew A. Rosenberg, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Daniel L. Rudnick, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

Robert J. Serafin, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

Anne M. Trehu, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Peter L. Tyack, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Shirley A. Pomponi (Chair), is president and CEO of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and a current member of the executive committee of the National Research Council’s Ocean Studies Board. She earned a Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Miami. She has authored or co-authored more than 80 publications in marine biotechnology, biodiversity, cell and molecular biology, systematics, and natural products chemistry and is a co-inventor on several patents. Dr. Pomponi has led numerous research expeditions worldwide. Her research focuses on the development of methods for sustainable use of marine resources for drug discovery and development and, in particular, on the cell and molecular biology of sponges with biomedical importance. She is an adjunct faculty member at Florida Atlantic University and the Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Pomponi has served on several NRC committees as well as the President’s Panel on Ocean Exploration and the Scientific Advisory Panel to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. She has an appointment to the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) and serves on the Executive Committee of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE), the Board of Directors of BIOFlorida, the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council, and the U.S. Committee for the Census of Marine Life. Dr. Pomponi is also a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Robert G. Bea earned a Ph.D. from the Center for Oil and Gas Engineering at the University of Western Australia in 2000. He also completed post graduate studies at the University of Norway (Trondheim), Tulane University, Rice University, Texas A&M University, Bakersfield College, and the University of Houston. In 1969, he received his MBA from Harvard University and in 1960 a M.S. in engineering from the University of Florida. He is currently a professor of civil engineering and a co-director of the Marine Technology and Management Group Center for Risk Mitigation at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has been teaching since 1989. Dr. Bea has over 48 years of experience in engineering and management of the design, construction, maintenance, operation, and decommissioning of marine systems including offshore platforms, pipelines, and floating facilities. Dr. Bea’s research interests include ocean environmental conditions and forces; foundations design and construction; structures design, construction, maintenance, re-qualification, reliability, and safety assessments; and human and organization factors in safety of marine systems. Dr. Bea is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Management. Among his many awards for engineering and research, he has received the Blakely Smith Medal Lifetime Achievements in Ocean Engineering from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (2001), the Offshore Technology Pioneer Award from the Energy Center (1998), and the Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering Technical Achievement Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1997). Dr. Bea served on the NRC Committee on Human Performance, Organizational Systems, and Maritime Safety (1995-1997).

Donald F. Boesch is a Professor of Marine Science and President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, which includes the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, the Horn Point Laboratory, and the Appalachian Laboratory. He earned his B.S. in biology at Tulane University and Ph.D. in oceanography at the College of William and Mary. Prior to moving to Maryland in 1990, he was the first Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and Professor of Marine Science at Louisiana State University. Originally focusing on community ecology of soft-bottom benthos, Dr. Boesch has also conducted research on the marine sedimentary processes, salt marshes, fishery food chains, and ecosystem responses to eutrophication in coastal and continental shelf environments along the Atlantic Coast, and in the Gulf of Mexico, eastern Australia, and the East China Sea. He focuses his current research on practical mechanisms for incorporating scientific information to guide ecosystem-based management and restoration of coastal and riverine environments. Dr. Boesch has been particularly active in extending knowledge to environmental and resource management at regional, national, and international levels. He is a member of both the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Maryland Governor’s Bay Cabinet. He has served on the NRC’s Marine Board and the Ocean Studies Board and has chaired or served on numerous federal agency and regional advisory committees. He also led the coastal sector team of the U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change and served as a science advisor to both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. Dr. Boesch currently serves on the NRC committee evaluating the Everglades restoration, the Advisory Board of Bonus for Baltic Sea Science, and the Science Board of the Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Program. He is also a member of the governing boards of the Chesapeake Research Consortium, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Consortium for Ocean Research and Education.

Jorge E. Corredor earned a Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Miami and a M.S. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison supported by Fulbright-Hays and IOC-UNESCO fellowships. He is currently a Professor of chemical oceanography at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in their Department of Marine Sciences. Dr. Corredor is a past Bruun Memorial Lecturer at IOC-UNESCO Paris and has served as Program Officer at UNEP’s Nairobi headquarters, as member of GESAMP, and as Chairman of IOC-UNESCO’s CARIPOL program for monitoring petroleum pollution in the Caribbean. He has authored or co-authored over 60 publications on regional oceanography, biogeochemistry and marine pollution of the Caribbean region. Together with Dr. Julio M. Morell, Dr. Corredor maintains a serial oceanographic observing station off the south coast of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Time Series Station (CaTS). Monthly observations at CaTS have provided an unprecedented 12-year record of ocean variability in the Caribbean. Dr. Corredor currently acts as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA, and ONR targeting the biogeochemistry and genomics of carbon flux in the Caribbean as forced by large river plumes and meso-scale eddies, and the establishment of an ocean observing system in the Caribbean region.

Keith R. Criddle is the Ted Stevens Distinguished Professor of Marine Policy in the University of Alaska, Fairbanks’ Juneau Center for Fisheries and Ocean Science. Dr. Criddle received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of California, Davis in 1989. Dr. Criddle’s research focuses on the intersection between the natural sciences and economics, especially the management of living resources. Dr. Criddle’s research has explored topics ranging from the economic consequences of alternative management regimes for the governance of commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries to the bioeconomic effects of climate change in north Pacific fisheries to the evolution of the structure of the Chilean salmon aquaculture industry in response to requirements for traceability and assurance. He has served on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committee since 1993 and as an associate editor of Marine Resource Economics (1993-2003). Dr. Criddle was a member of the NRC’s Committee on the Introduction of Nonnative Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, the Committee to Review Individual Fishing Quotas, and the Committee on the Evaluation of the Sea Grant Program Review Process.

Mary (Missy) H. Feeley is chief geoscientist in the Technical Department with the ExxonMobil Exploration Company. She earned a PhD in oceanography from Texas A&M University in 1984. At ExxonMobil, she has been involved in many capacity-building activities in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Her responsibilities include advising senior ExxonMobil Upstream management on strategic geoscience matters and identifying global geoscience opportunities for ExxonMobil. She is also responsible for linking business-unit needs to the geophysical research program in ExxonMobil's Upstream Research Company. Dr. Feeley is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and the American Geophysical Union. She recently served as co-chair for the Committee on International Capacity Building for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Oceans and Coasts.

Debra Hernandez received her M.S. in civil engineering from Clemson University in 1987. She is a professional engineer and her background is in coastal management and engineering. Ms. Hernandez is currently the President of Hernandez and Company and worked previously as Director of Program and Policy Development for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. She is an acknowledged leader in coastal management with 18 years of experience and extensive policy, legislative, and technical expertise. Ms. Hernandez’s expertise lies in federal and state coastal and environmental management laws, regulations, and policies. She currently serves on the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel. Ms. Hernandez is also a founding board member and current vice-chair for the Coastal States Stewardship Foundation, whose purpose is to support healthy coasts and vibrant coastal communities. Additionally, she chaired the Coastal States Organization (CSO) from 2002 to 2004. CSO represents the interests of 35 governors from coastal states on federal activities relating to coastal management.

Robert A. Holman earned his Ph.D. from Dalhousie University in physical oceanography in 1979 and his B.S. in honors mathematics and physics from the Royal Military College at Kingston Canada in 1972. He is Professor at the College of Oceanic Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Dr. Holman’s research interests include beach processes, measurements of near-shore waves and currents, models of sandbar generation and morphology, application of remote sensing to near-shore processes, and large-scale coastal behavior. He is currently performing research projects on the interactions of waves with near-shore morphology, measurement and modeling of sandbar morphology climatology, and remote-sensing signatures in the near-shore. These are being completed for the Coastal Imaging Laboratory at Oregon State University, a laboratory that Dr. Holman has been developing since he joined Oregon State University in 1979. Dr. Holman has published more than 50 refereed papers encompassing theoretical, observation, and technical areas, including recent papers on pattern formation in the nearshore, the statistics and kinematics of transverse sandbars on an open coast, and the role of morphological feedback in surf zone sand bar response. He was recently appointed to a four-year term as the FY2004 Secretary of the Navy/Chief of Naval Research Chair in Oceanographic Science. Dr. Holman has also served as a consultant for Navy Special Projects at MITRE Corporation, the National Science Foundation (NSF) ad hoc committee for establishment of a coastal engineering program, the NSF Coastal Geology task force, several NRC committees, and many other professional and technical organizations.

Kiho Kim is an Associate Professor of biology and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at American University in Washington, DC. He received his PhD in 1996 at the University of Buffalo, studying the ecology of tropical coral reefs, and did his post-doctoral work at Cornell University. His current research focuses on understanding the role of diseases in coral population ecology and the synergistic effects of environmental factors, such as nutrient pollution and ocean warming, in the decline of coral reefs. Dr. Kim has participated in working groups examining the ecology of diseases at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, has worked with the British Council in promoting international networking for young scientists, and is currently an advisor to the Coral Disease Working Group of the World Bank. As Director of the Environmental Studies Program at American University, Dr. Kim focuses on training undergraduate and graduate students to be clear and effective advocates for science in policy making.

Barbara A. Knuth is professor and senior associate dean in Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in fisheries and wildlife science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is also co-leader of the Human Dimensions Research Unit at Cornell University, focusing on (1) improving the understanding of human attitudes and behaviors related to natural resources and the environment; and (2) fostering the integration of social and ecological information in natural resources and environmental management decision-making processes. Her research focuses on risk perception, communication, and management focused on fisheries affected by chemical contaminants; community-based natural resource management approaches; and factors influencing human stewardship and use of natural resources, particularly fish and wildlife. Dr. Knuth is a former president of the American Fisheries Society and has served on three NRC committees, most recently the Review of Recreational Fisheries Survey Methods.

Robert A. Lawson received his M.S. in physical oceanography from Florida Institute of Technology in 1977 and his M.S. in oceanography and meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1984. Mr. Lawson is currently the Vice President of Ocean and Atmospheric Programs for Naval and Maritime Solutions at the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Since joining SAIC in 2004, he has helped direct their efforts for development of tsunami warning and mitigation systems, global ocean observation systems, and naval applications of oceanography and meteorology. Prior to joining SAIC, he served in the U.S. Navy for over 27 years achieving the rank of Captain. As one of the principle leaders of the U.S. Navy’s oceanography community, his experience includes providing oceanography, ocean engineering, and meteorology support for a wide range of fleet operations around the world. In his last assignment, he served as the Deputy Oceanographer of the Navy supporting the Chief of Naval Operations. In this capacity, he directed the U.S. Navy’s Oceanography Program, which consisted of seven oceanographic survey ships, over 3000 personnel deployed globally, and the development and execution of an annual budget exceeding $440 million. Additionally, Mr. Lawson has over 29 years of experience with underwater surveillance, sensors, anti-submarine warfare, diving and salvage, and providing operations and hazard decision support. He is also an Executive Committee member of the Alliance for Earth Observations.

George I. Matsumoto is a senior educational and research specialist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA and his research interest is open ocean and deep sea communities; ecology and biogeography of open ocean and deep sea organisms; functional morphology, and natural history and behavior. He manages several education and outreach programs including collaborations with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's sister organization, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Dr. Matsumoto served on the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) Steering Committee and the 2004 NSF Committee of Visitors for Geoscience Education and is currently serving as a national advisory board member for the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE), the Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (C-MOP), the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) as well as several regional nonprofit organizations. He also served as a member of the OSB committee for the Evaluation of the Sea Grant Program Review Process.

Jay S. Pearlman is Chief Engineer of NCOC&EM at Boeing Phantom Works. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington and a B.S. from the California Institute of Technology. His background includes basic research; program management; and program development in sensors, remote sensing, and information systems. Over the last few years, Dr. Pearlman was the focal point for the IGIS Demo on Coastal Impacts and the Boeing Global Radiosonde Program for improved weather data, the Chief Architect for the NOAA GOES-R Study Contract, and the Chief Scientist for the Landsat Data Continuity Contract. He was also Deputy PM and PI for the NASA Hyperion Program. Dr. Pearlman is currently leading the NCO research and technology coordination and a Boeing Technical Fellow. He is a senior member of the IEEE and is Chair of the IEEE Committee on Earth Observation and Principal IEEE delegate to GEO. He is Co-Chair of the GEO Architecture and Data Committee, a member of the GOOS Science and Technology Steering Committee, a member of IOC JCOMM, on the Board of the Northwest Regional Ocean Observing System (NANOOS), and chair of the NANOOS data management committee. He is active in promoting systems of systems architecture and information system development for large-scale national and global applications, including advancing ocean and coastal information systems. Dr. Pearlman has more than 70 publications and 25 U.S. and international patents.

Andrew A. Rosenberg is a Professor of Natural Resources and Earth, Oceans, and Space at the University of New Hampshire. He received his Ph.D. from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Rosenberg explores marine sciences, marine policy, and fisheries in his research projects. Even before joining the University of New Hampshire, he engaged in a distinguished career involving marine sciences. As former Deputy Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Dr. Rosenberg was a key policy maker for that agency and served as a liaison to Congress, senior levels of the administration, resource management partners, and the public. Prior to the deputy director post, he served the National Marine Fisheries Service for ten years, where he was the Northeast Regional Administrator and Chief of Research Coordination in Maryland and Massachusetts. Most recently, Dr. Rosenberg served as a member of the President's U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. Dr. Rosenberg was a member of the OSB committee for the 2006 report Dynamic Changes in Marine Ecosystems.

Daniel L. Rudnick earned his Ph.D. in oceanography in 1987 from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his B.A. in physics at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Rudnick is currently a professor and Deputy Director of Education at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Rudnick is an observational oceanographer whose research focuses on processes in the upper ocean. Of particular interest are fronts and eddies, air-sea interaction, the stirring and mixing of physical and biological tracers, and the effect of oceanic structure on acoustic propagation. Dr. Rudnick is keenly interested in observational instrumentation, having been involved in the use and/or development of moorings, towed and underway profilers, and autonomous underwater gliders. Dr. Rudnick has sailed on over 25 oceanographic cruises, over half as chief scientist. Dr. Rudnick has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Rudnick has served on various panels and committees for NSF, NOAA, and ONR.

Robert J. Serafin is the Director Emeritus of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Dr. Serafin received the BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Notre Dame University, Northwestern University, and Illinois Institute of Technology, respectively. Dr. Serafin began his career at Hazeltine Research Corporation where he worked on the design and development of high-resolution radar systems. This was followed by 10 years at the IIT Research Institute and Illinois Institute of Technology. He established the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, and was its co-editor for several years. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has served on and chaired many National Research Council (NRC) panels and committees. He recently served on the NRC's Space Studies Board and its Executive Committee and as chair of the NRC's Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate. He is a Fellow and Past-President of the American Meteorological Society and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In the private sector, Dr. Serafin has served on several boards and currently chairs the board of a small high tech company in Boulder. He also serves on the board of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Foundation and two companies founded by the Foundation.

Anne M. Trehu earned a B.A. in geophysics in 1975 from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in marine geophysics in 1982 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography. After working at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Office of Marine Geology for five years, she joined the faculty at Oregon State University’s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Trehu’s research interests include seismic reflection and refraction data acquisition and processing on land and at sea, and deep crustal structure and tectonic/geologic processes at plate boundaries and continental margins. Current research focuses on gas hydrates on continental margins and earthquake processes in the Cascadia subduction zone. Dr. Trehu served on the NRC Committee on Seismology (1990-1996) and on the Committee to Review the Activities Authorized under the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (2003-2004), which produced Charting the Future of Methane Hydrate Research in the United States. She has participated in approximately 40 field expeditions and has authored or co-authored about 100 peer-reviewed publications.

Peter L. Tyack is a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He earned his Ph.D. in animal behavior from Rockefeller University in 1982. His research interests include social behavior and vocalizations of cetaceans, including vocal learning and mimicry in their natural communication systems and their responses to human noise. Dr. Tyack has been a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since 1999. He has served on several National Research Council panels that examined the effects of sound on marine mammals.

Dawn J. Wright is a professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University, where she has been on the faculty since 1995. Prior to joining the OSU faculty, she was a seagoing marine technician for the international Ocean Drilling Program and a post-doctoral research associate at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Newport, Oregon. She has completed oceanographic fieldwork on the East Pacific Rise, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Juan de Fuca Ridge, the Tonga Trench, volcanoes under the Japan Sea and the Indian Ocean, and, most recently, American Samoa. She was named the Woman of the Year in education by Clarity Magazine and has received numerous accolades as a mentor and professor. She received a National Science Foundation Career award in 1995 (Ocean Sciences Division) and an NRC Ford Foundation fellowship in 1993. She serves on the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources' Standing Committee on Geophysical and Environmental Data and was a member of the OSB/BESR Committee on National Needs in Coastal Mapping and Charting.

Board Members