Welcome to the International Commission of the History of Oceanography!

"How can one explain the autonomous development of biological oceanography when it might have maintained close links with ecology? There are some advantages to having the history of oceanography to ourselves. It is a fleeting pleasure that practically every aspect of the history of the marine sciences is a virgin field, full of intriguing problems and projects. But this is hardly sufficient to compensate for the lack of “critical mass” in the history of oceanography. Whom do you talk to when the new project opens up? How do you keep up with theoretical developments in the history and philosophy of science relevant to the limits of knowledge, the interaction of people and things, and many other topics in historiography? It is too much to expect that the history of oceanography will become a growth industry (Mainline history of science is having a hard enough time surviving in academia), but surely it is time that we became more evangelistic about the virtues and unexplored possibilities of our work."
-Eric L. Mills

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     After many​ years and a recent delay in getting the website activated and operational (presidential problems!), ICHO has a website. We invite all members to submit material for posting on teh website, be that information a meeting, call for papers, or material for the newsletter.

     For many years, Eric Mills served ICHO not just as its president, but as its brilliant and productive newsletter editor. Since we now have a website, some of the newsletter functions will become "on-going," with an annual download for archival purposes as that year's newsletter. Other functions, especially the bibliography, may actually pass out of use, since there are so many effective and comprehensive bibliographic tools that provide a more comprehensive coverage of our field. However, the "Book Notices" section should gain more attention; ICHO members are encouraged to submit titles of new books, as well as brief "book comments or reviews) to accompany the title.

     Additionally, ICHO members are encouraged to provide any and all critiques, ideas, or suggestions to make this website as valuable and as interactive as possible.

Keith R. Benson

President, ICHO

​     International conferences are always tricky matters. In addition to making sure the subject or topic of the conference is well circulated and well received, there is the matter of accepting papers and then providing the necessary means for conferees to attend the meetings. Many of the previous ICHO meetings have been successful due to the careful stewardship of ICHO volunteers. Additionally, for much of the second half of the twentieth century, there was a fair amount of financial support from international and national organizations, including oceanographic organizations keen to support the history of their discipline. 

     Much has changed in the twenty-first century. Thankfully, the Cold War has ended, but with it has come a marked diminution in discretionary funding in oceanography, especially for activities like ICHO. Added to this was the gradual economic slowdown in the twenty-first century, becoming more of a economic disaster after 2008. Of course, the tragic event of 11 September 2001 and its aftermath have contributed to make international travel much more difficult and more expensive as well.

     All these considerations may have come together this past summer and fall to create the "Perfect Storm" as a backdrop for planning Athens 2012. Of course, the Greek economic crisis and the EU response to this problem have not helped matters at all. The net result was an exceptionally low response to the call for papers. George Vlahakis and I discussed this situation for several months before eventually reaching the decision that the meeting must be delayed and, as a result, you have all read about the cancellation of this summer's meeting, with plans for an upcoming meeting in the near future.

     Perhaps some of us "jumped the gun" on supporting plans for a meeting in 2012. After all, the Naples meeting had just been concluded in 2008 and, normally, subsequent meetings are planned from six to eight years later. Thus, we are hoping that with added encouragement, close cooperation, and clever intellectual planning we will enjoy one of the best ICHO meetings ever when we gather in Athens. The exact date has not been determined, although 2014 seems very reasonable.

Keith R. Benson

President, ICHO

     ​​Beginning with the 2012 newsletter, we will be adding newsworthy items, reporting on meetings (both upcoming and their results), providing comments from the president, and including book notices. At the end of each calendar year, the "Current Newsletter" will then become part of the ICHO archives. After this one-year experiment, we will re-evaluate this procedure and make any necessary adjustments.

     Thus, to make sure the newsletter contains "all the news that is fit to print," please send in any newsworthy items for inclusion. We will edit the submissions for consistency, including other editorial changes as necessary. Those who submit information will be notified of any changes before the material is posted on the website.

Keith R. Benson

President, ICHO

krbenson@ups.edu

50 Years of the

  Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC)

For half a century, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO has been the UN organization responsible for fostering intergovernmental cooperation on global ocean issues. Beginning with the International Indian Ocean Expedition in 1960, the IOC has worked to advance international co-operation in the research and protection of the ocean. The IOC mission, as defined in IOC website, is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programs in research, services, and capacity building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improved management, sustainable development and protection of the marine environment, and the decision making process of its Member States.

The main purpose of this paper is to brief readers, particularly those (including some historians) who have little contact with IOC and other international oceanographic organizations to the activities and history of these organizations. The text is supported by a bibliographical list of relevant publications and websites, with some quotations frequently from them.

With 142 member states and a wide network of partners from the UN, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, IOC was able to set ambitious objectives for its anniversary and to launch a worldwide program of activities lasting the entire anniversary year.  Starting  with the inauguration day 8 June 2010 during the 43rd Session of the IOC Executive Council at UNESCO Headquarter’s in Paris, the anniversary celebrations continued as scientific events such as symposia, workshops, training courses, and oceanic cruises contributed by 46 member states of IOC, in addition to other activities supported by IOC partners, programs, and secretariats.

Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO declared, “ As a flagship programme of our organization, the IOC has been, since 1960, a leader within the UN family in promoting marine research.”  The anniversary celebration of vast scientific programs proceeded, led by the Chairman of IOC, Javier A. Valladares, and managed by Wendy Watson-Wright, the Executive Secretary of IOC (and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO). Iouri Oliounine was designated as anniversary coordinator.

The official closing ceremony of the commemorative year took place during the 26^th Session of IOC Assembly, on 22 June 2011, during which the 50th anniversary commemorative medal was given to 43 individuals selected by the Medal Nomination Committee based on Member States and the Members of the Committee recommendations. Among the 43 recipients, seven of the international staff, who served during the 50 years of IOC existence, received this honor (see also the section on News and Events in this issue of the History of Oceanography Newsletter). The commemorative medal was established by the IOC Assembly at its 24th session in 2007. During the anniversary inauguration day in June 2010 nine former Chairpersons and Executive Secretaries of IOC were presented with the original medal. 

In his statement on the 50^th Anniversary of IOC to the 36^th General Conference of UNESCO in October 2011, the Chairman of IOC, Sang-Kyung Byun, presented a balance sheet of the 50^th Anniversary of IOC:

“The main focus of commemorative activities was on creating awareness and demonstrating the importance of IOC achievements, promoting a better image of UNESCO and its IOC, and obtaining the commitment of Governments to take action and provide adequate resources to support the IOC and the Ocean.”

More than 50 conferences, meetings, and training activities dedicated to the anniversary were implemented during the period 2009-2011. Eleven substantive publications were issued by Member States to commemorate the IOC anniversary and its input to the research and protection of the ocean and coastal zones. A special related achievement was the publication by Cambridge University Press of the book, Troubled waters: ocean science and governance.  More than 30 research and training cruises were implemented under the IOC anniversary flag in different parts of the world. There were also underwater film festivals organized, dedicated websites launched, and numerous press releases, promotional flyers and posters published. The IOC commemorative medal was developed and presented to more than 50 individuals. All these activities were implemented with no funds specially allocated for the 50^th anniversary from the regular budget of the IOC. The generous financial contributions of Member States and partners to a level of $400,000 (USD) made it possible to meet the anniversary objectives (see relevant websites below).

The Golden Age of Oceanography

In his book , Oceanographers and the Cold War: Disciples of Marine Science,  Jacob Hamblin (2005) noted that his work  deals with  “…one of the great paradoxes of oceanography during the first decades after World War II. Support for research was based on its usefulness for making war on other nations. At the same time oceanography retained an identity that tied it closely to international cooperation.” Examples of such international cooperative enterprises and institutions were evident in the International Geophysical Year (the IGY established in 1957-1958), the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR established 1957), the NATO Science Committee (ca. 1958 and after), UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC established 1960), the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE  from 1962-1965), and the International Decade of Ocean Exploration (IDOE in the 1970s), which contributed  to the advantage of a generation of scientists.  One of them, the oceanographer and historian Eric Mills (2005) commented in his editorial as a witness of that era, “Those of us, like me, who began to work in oceanography in the 1960s, were aware, usually dimly, that we were participants in global affairs unfolding around us, and especially that an amazing expansion of the marine sciences was underway both scientifically and financially. One still, sunny afternoon in the Gulf Stream one of my colleagues said that we should forget about the golden Classical Age of the Greeks – we were in the true Golden Age. And so it was – for a time.”

The president of The Oceanographic Society (TOS), Carolyn A. Thoroughgood  (2010), noted that during IOC’s half-century, ocean sciences research has grown ever more responsive to social needs, as a host of discoveries and milestones have occurred.  In a forward looking perspective, she continued,  “The ocean science community now stands at the threshold of a new era in oceanographic research- facilitated by long -term, continuous ocean observations and measurements made possible by a wide range of innovative technologies to ‘see” ocean processes from a perspective within the ocean.”  The president of TOS concluded by saying, “We are fortunate to have organizations like IOC to connect these research findings with strategies to promote wise use and management of ocean and coastal resources.”

The Anniversary Decade and its Gifts to History of Oceanography

We have just witnessed a decade of anniversary celebrations. In the first decade of the twenty first century several international oceanographic organizations celebrated their anniversaries by reflecting on their history in ways that enriched our knowledge of history of oceanography. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the oldest oceanographic organization, celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2002 by a  historical symposium in Helsinki in 2000 (Anderson,  2002) and a book by the historian Helen Rozwadowski (2002). The International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO), the oldest non-governmental organization that traces its roots to 1919, marked its 80^th anniversary by a special symposium on the history of IAPSO during its assembly in Mar del Plata, Argentine in 2001. Three main papers were published the following year. IAPSO plans its anniversary within the IUGG centennial anniversary in 2019. A historical Union Symposium and a volume are planned (Information provided by Paola Rizzoli, Fred Camfield and Johan Rodhe of IAPSO).  Both SCOR and IOC were born during the golden age of oceanography.  The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) was established in 1957, as the first interdisciplinary body formed by ICSU. As a contribution to its anniversary, SCOR published “SCOR HISTORY REPORT # 1” and the “Birth and First Years of SCOR” by Torben Wolff, a veteran former member of the Committee.

The IOC anniversary 2010-2011 was the latest celebration in this decade and was marked likewise by a strong interest in its history as witnessed by Cambridge Press volume on Troubled Waters, Ocean Science and Governance, edited by Holland and Pugh (2010) and by the Special issue of Oceanography, the magazine of The Oceanographic Society (TOS). IOC also launched a special website on its anniversary which includes several historical elements. Historians may fine the Time line of IOC to be a useful website. It gives the main issues discussed in the annual meetings of the governing bodies of IOC, either the Assembly or the Executive Council in the last 50 years, as conveyed in their adopted reports in IOC documents.

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks are due to Patrice Boned (Documentation Center, IOC) for his help in providing the required information and documents.

Bibliography

Anderson, E. D., ed., 2002. 100 Years of Science under ICES, A Symposium held in Helsinki, 1-4 August 2000, ICES Marine Science Symposia, 315, 113-123.

Hamblin, J., 2005, Oceanographers and the Cold War: Disciples of Marine Science, University of Washington Press.

Holland, G., 2006, “Observing and Understanding Planet Ocean, A history of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC),” In; Sixty  Years of Science at UNESCO 1945-2005, UNESCO, Paris.

Holland, G, and Pugh, D., eds., 2010, Troubled  Waters, Ocean Science and Governance, Cambridge University Press.

Kappel,  E. S., ed., 2010, “Celebrating 50 Years of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission,” Oceanography, Official Magazine of the Oceanographic Society, Special Issue , 23 (3), September 2010.

Krause, D. C., Morcos, S., Steyaert, M., Wright, G.D., Suzyumov, A., Troost, D.G., 2006, “Building Blocks For Marine Science, A History of UNESCO’ Marine Sciences Division (OCE),” In; Sixty  Years of Science at UNESCO 1945-2005, UNESCO, Paris.

Mills, E., 2005,  “EDITORIAL: Understanding the Golden Age,” History of Oceanography Newsletter, September 2005, 17, 3-4.

Morcos, S.,  Suzyumov, A., Wright, G., 2005, “UNESCO and decades of marine science, “History of Oceanography Newsletter, September 2005, 17,  22-3.

Roll, H.U., 1979., A focus for ocean research Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, History, functions, achievements. IOC Technical Series, 20.

Rozwadowski, H. M., 2002, The Sea Knows No Boundaries. A Century of Marine Science under ICES, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London.

Tjossem, S., 2005, The Journey to PICES. Scientific Cooperation in the North Pacific, University of Alaska Press.

Went  A.E.J., 1972, Seventy years Agrowing. A History of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, 1902-1972, ICES Rapports et Procès-Verbaux des Réunions. 165.

Wolff, T., 1990,  “The creation and first years of SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research),” In Ocean sciences: Their History and Relation to Man, Proceedings of ICHO IV, Hamburg, Germany, 1987, eds W. Lenz and M. Deacon, Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift, Hamburg.

 Wolff, T, 2010, The birth and first years of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), SCOR History Report # 1, Published by SCOR, Newark, Delaware, USA.

Wooster, W, S. and Morcos, S, 2005, “An opportunity for historians of science: 50 YEARS OF SCOR and the IOC,” Ocean  Challenge of  the  Challenger Society for  Marine Science, UK, 14 (2), and in History of Oceanography Newsletter, 17,  35-36.

Relevant Websites

IOC 50^th Anniversary:

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8439&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

IOC Commemorative medals:

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=9245&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Events and contributions to IOC  50^th anniversary:

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8477&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

History of IOC: presentation by IOC Executive Secretary Wendy Watson-Wright:

http://www.unesco.org/science/doc/ioc/wwwIOC_50th.pdf

Time line of IOC

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8463&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Publications by Countries

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8478&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Holland, G, and Pugh, D. (2010) Book: Troubled  Waters, Ocean Science and Governance:

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8688&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

IOC Chairperson Address to the General Conference of UNESCO:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/single-view-oceans/news/ioc_chair_addresses_the_unesco_36th_general_conference_on_50th_anniversary_of_ioc/

SCOR History:

http://www.scor-int.org/history.htm

Selim Morcos       selimmorx@aol.com

​​Our History

“OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION”

ATHENS 12-16 JULY 2012

            The ICHO meeting this summer, to be held in Athens from 12-16 July, has been delayed indefinitely. Despite the admirable and well-organized plans of the local committee, headed by George Vlahakis, there was not a large enough response from the ICHO community to support an international congress. While there may have been great concern about financial issues within the European community to cause the modest response, it is hoped that a delay in scheduling the meeting will enable more ICHO members to prepare submissions for ICHO IX.

            Scholars who have submitted papers for presentation this summer are encouraged either to delay these presentations, to submit them for publication in the ICHO newsletter, or to consider submitting them for the oceanography session at the IUHPS meeting in Manchester (see information in this newsletter, "Call for Papers"). Please contact Keith Benson (krbenson@pugetsound.edu) if you are interested in publishing in the newsletter.

            A new schedule for the meeting will soon be posted on the ICHO website, www.oceanhist.org. Please contact George Vlahakis (gvlahakis@yahoo.com) or Keith Benson (krbenson@pugetsound.edu or krbenson@interchange.ubc.ca) for more information.