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In Memoriam
OC Mourns the Loss of Edward O. Keith
Edward O. Keith, Ph.D., associate professor, passed away on September 14, 2012, at
the age of 60. Keith’s principal interests included the biology, conservation, ecology,
evolution, and physiology of marine mammals including whales, dolphins, and
manatees. His research of marine mammals and vertebrate ecology focused on long-
term studies of Florida manatees; conducting interdisciplinary studies of current issues
in marine mammalogy, including the development of a technological solution to the
problem of manatee mortality from vessel strikes; examining the abiotic and biotic
factors associated with marine mammal strandings in Florida and the southeastern
United States; and collaborating on conservation projects for Antillean manatees in
Mexico and Panama.
“Dr. Keith was a seasoned educator and communicator,” said Dick Dodge, Ph.D., dean
of NSU’s Oceanographic Center. “He had a passion for study and understanding of the
ecology and biology of marine mammals. His hard work, gregarious nature, team spirit,
and student focus made a significant difference at NSU and the Oceanographic Center.
He will be very sorely missed.”
Edward O. Keith
Charles S. Yentsch
Oceanography Loses Charles S. Yentsch,
One of the First OC Researchers
Charles S. Yentsch passed away in September 2012 at the age of
85. Yentsch was regarded as one of the great pioneers of modern
oceanography, and one of the first to conceive of the potential of
ocean color remote sensing. In 1985, he received a Ph.D. honoris causa
from Long Island University in Southampton, New York. The American
Association of Limnology and Oceanography presented Yentsch with
a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. In 2010, The Oceanographic
Society bestowed the honor of the Nils Gunnar Jerlov Award and also
named him a Fellow of The Oceanography Society.
Yentsch came to the Oceanographic Center in 1967. In July of 1974,
Yentsch and his wife, Clarice, founded the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean
Sciences in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine. This laboratory has grown to
become a leading scientific institution in the state of Maine.
OC Bids a Fond Farewell to Kathy Maxson
After 31 years of dedicated service, Kathy Maxson retired as an OC librarian at the end
of May. For many years, she was the only librarian, fostering the growing library—first
on the second floor of the Forman Building, and then in its present location on the
fourth floor of the Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystem Research.
Prior to her long career as a librarian, Maxson began work as the OC’s administrative
assistant/receptionist and jack-of-all-trades. Located on the houseboat, her office was
a thoroughfare for those who needed secretarial support or drafting assistance, and
many used her outside door to go swimming or fishing in the boat basin.
Maxson did eventually find her calling in running the Richardson Library. She
maintained and grew the library’s collections and tended to faculty and student needs.
Equally important, Maxson hosted the annual holiday party in the library for many,
many years, and she was the previous editor for
Currents
. We wish her well in
her retirement!
Kathy Maxson
