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Russ E. Davis
which case we will end up more like the Post Office of 1980 than Federal Express
of 2000, and the observing system will decline. But the experience at PMEL makes
clear that delivering routine observations is not a routine undertaking and that the
associated challenges can fuel the needed creativity.
Like all good engineering, successful ocean observing needs more than innovation. It also needs good judgment. It is well to always have a new, really imaginative
idea but if it is observations we seek, good judgment is needed to temper these so that
something comes of the best ideas. I am reminded that John Isaacs of SIO had myriad
novel ideas from wave powered boats to skyhooks for lifting things into space, but in
the end it was Richardson, Schmitz, and Milburn who set achievable goals, reached
them, and methodically made moored observations practical.
Finally, it takes a community. As in the course of civilizations, progress occurs
most rapidly when many people are involved in solving a problem and they communicate so that ideas can spread quickly. The history above is filled with collaborations
that formed, dissolved, and were replaced by new combinations. In the same way, an
idea in one area often gets moved to a new area where it unlocks an important path to
progress. Even more obvious, some problems simply require a lot of different talents
and consequently large diverse teams. We can only hope that a critical mass of talent
and interest can be maintained in the next 50 years in the face of pressure to make
ocean observation a routine task awarded to the low bidder.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to the many people who gave their time to help me get this wonderful
story straight. Particular thanks go to Jerry Dean, John Gould, Jim Hannon, Nelson
Hogg, Jim Luyten, Arnold Mantyla, Mike McPhaden, Jacky Moliera, Joe Reid, Doug
Webb, and Bob Weller.
REFERENCES
Baker, D. J., 1981. Ocean instruments and experimental design. In: Evolution of Physical Oceanography.
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 396–433.
Boebel, O., R. E. Davis, M. Ollitrault, R. G. Peterson, P. L. Richardson, C. Schmid, and W. Zenk, 1999.
The intermediate depth circulation of the western South Atlantic. Geophys. Res. Lett. 26, 3329–3332.
Bower, A. S., B. Le Cann, T. Rossby, W. Zenk, J. Gould, K. Speer, P. Richardson, M. D. Prater, and
H.-M. Zhang, 2002. Directly measured mid-depth circulation in the northeastern North Atlantic
Ocean. Nature 419, 603–607.
Brainard, E. C., 1967. Evaluation of the P. O. E. Buoy with conventional buoy designs. In: Transactions of the
2nd International Buoy Technology Symposium/ Exposition. Marine Technology Society, Washington,
DC, 161–182.
Bretherton, F. P., 1980. Estimating the ocean general circulation using neutrally buoyant floats. Unpublished
manuscript.
Russ E. Davis
which case we will end up more like the Post Office of 1980 than Federal Express
of 2000, and the observing system will decline. But the experience at PMEL makes
clear that delivering routine observations is not a routine undertaking and that the
associated challenges can fuel the needed creativity.
Like all good engineering, successful ocean observing needs more than innovation. It also needs good judgment. It is well to always have a new, really imaginative
idea but if it is observations we seek, good judgment is needed to temper these so that
something comes of the best ideas. I am reminded that John Isaacs of SIO had myriad
novel ideas from wave powered boats to skyhooks for lifting things into space, but in
the end it was Richardson, Schmitz, and Milburn who set achievable goals, reached
them, and methodically made moored observations practical.
Finally, it takes a community. As in the course of civilizations, progress occurs
most rapidly when many people are involved in solving a problem and they communicate so that ideas can spread quickly. The history above is filled with collaborations
that formed, dissolved, and were replaced by new combinations. In the same way, an
idea in one area often gets moved to a new area where it unlocks an important path to
progress. Even more obvious, some problems simply require a lot of different talents
and consequently large diverse teams. We can only hope that a critical mass of talent
and interest can be maintained in the next 50 years in the face of pressure to make
ocean observation a routine task awarded to the low bidder.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to the many people who gave their time to help me get this wonderful
story straight. Particular thanks go to Jerry Dean, John Gould, Jim Hannon, Nelson
Hogg, Jim Luyten, Arnold Mantyla, Mike McPhaden, Jacky Moliera, Joe Reid, Doug
Webb, and Bob Weller.
REFERENCES
Baker, D. J., 1981. Ocean instruments and experimental design. In: Evolution of Physical Oceanography.
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 396–433.
Boebel, O., R. E. Davis, M. Ollitrault, R. G. Peterson, P. L. Richardson, C. Schmid, and W. Zenk, 1999.
The intermediate depth circulation of the western South Atlantic. Geophys. Res. Lett. 26, 3329–3332.
Bower, A. S., B. Le Cann, T. Rossby, W. Zenk, J. Gould, K. Speer, P. Richardson, M. D. Prater, and
H.-M. Zhang, 2002. Directly measured mid-depth circulation in the northeastern North Atlantic
Ocean. Nature 419, 603–607.
Brainard, E. C., 1967. Evaluation of the P. O. E. Buoy with conventional buoy designs. In: Transactions of the
2nd International Buoy Technology Symposium/ Exposition. Marine Technology Society, Washington,
DC, 161–182.
Bretherton, F. P., 1980. Estimating the ocean general circulation using neutrally buoyant floats. Unpublished
manuscript.