NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
February 5, 2009
Obama Pick to Lead NOAA Surely A Win for All Sailors
Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, an internationally known marine ecologist who is deeply concerned about climate change and overfishing, has been picked by President Barack Obama to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For sailors, who are naturally environmentally aware, there's a clear win with this appointment. A member of Sailors for the Sea's advisory board - a not-for-profit organization that attempts to protect and restore oceans and coastal waters (see below), Lubchenco would be the first woman to head the prominent science agency, which encompasses about half the work force of the Department of Commerce and has a budget of roughly $4 billion. NOAA's many divisions conduct the nation's study of oceans, weather and global warming. lubchenco_jane
Her selection signals the incoming administration's focus on aggressive environmental and marine protection.
A former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Ecological Society of America, Lubchenco has won many of the top awards in her field, including a MacArthur Fellowship. She is widely respected within the science community and has long spoken strongly of the need to protect marine ecosystems.
Photo: Oregon State University marine biologist Jane Lubchenco conducts fieldwork north of Depoe Bay in 2003. Sol Neelman/ Courtesy of The Oregonian.
