A 50-Year Journey from Phosphate to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

This narrative is a personal account of my evolution as a student of phytoplankton and the ocean. Initially I focused on phytoplankton nutrient physiology and uptake, later switching to photosynthetic physiology. Better models of photosynthesis naturally require a better understanding of spectral un...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of marine science 2020-01, Vol.12 (1), p.1-22
Main Author: Perry, Mary Jane
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absorption coefficient
Absorptivity
autobiography
Autonomous underwater vehicles
bio-optics
Blooms
Careers
Coefficients
Education, Graduate
graduate student mentoring
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Light fields
Nutrient uptake
Nutrients - metabolism
Oceanography
Oceanography - instrumentation
Oceanography - trends
Optics
Perry
phosphate
Phosphates
Phosphates - metabolism
Photosynthesis
Physical oceanography
Physiology
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton - physiology
Plankton
Seasons
Social factors
Social interactions
Submerging
Underwater vehicles
Uptake
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Description
Summary:This narrative is a personal account of my evolution as a student of phytoplankton and the ocean. Initially I focused on phytoplankton nutrient physiology and uptake, later switching to photosynthetic physiology. Better models of photosynthesis naturally require a better understanding of spectral underwater light fields and absorption coefficients, which precipitated my involvement in the nascent field of bio-optical oceanography. Establishment of the now 34-year-old summer graduate course in ocean optics, which continues to attract students from around the globe, is a legacy of my jumping into optics. The importance of social interactions in advancing science cannot be underestimated; a prime example is how a TGIF gathering led to my immersion in the world of autonomous underwater vehicles for the past two decades of my career. Working with people who you like and respect is also critical; I believe collegial friendship played a major role in the great success of the 2008 North Atlantic Bloom Experiment.
ISSN:1941-1405
1941-0611
DOI:10.1146/annurev-marine-010419-010945