Ocean Science Pioneer Walter Munk to be Honored at Special 2017 Catch the Next Wave Conference

Organizers of the first Oceanology International North America (OINA) exhibition and conference have announced that ocean science pioneer and ‘living legend’ Walter H. Munk will feature in a special edition of the Catch the Next Wave (CTNW) Conference which will be integral to next year’s three-day program.

During the year of his 100th birthday, the renowned oceanographer Walter Munk, of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will be honored for his outstanding contribution to ocean science and technology at the future-focused CTNW event, which takes place from 9am to 5pm on Thursday, February 16th at San Diego Convention Center and is delivered in association with Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Reed Exhibitions has confirmed a distinguished speaker line-up in which Scripps Oceanographer Munk will present on ‘Acoustic Monitoring of Climate Change’ within the Sensing with Sound session.

Providing a fitting conclusion to CTNW and the extensive OINA conference schedule, the proceedings will culminate with a closing keynote address celebrating Munk’s achievements by John Orcutt, Distinguished Professor of Geophysics for the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Munk is a professor emeritus of geophysics in the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. His research includes physical oceanography and geophysics leading to the understanding of ocean currents and circulation, tides, wave propagation in solid and fluid bodies, and the rotation of the Earth. He pioneered the use of high-speed computers for analyzing geophysical data.

Historically a standalone event, the fourth edition of the one-day conference has been incorporated into the OINA agenda as an addition to the final day of a strong debut program set to attract leading experts and professionals from the ocean science and marine technology communities.

Entitled ‘Celebrating the Past to Awaken the Future’, to quote John F Kennedy, CTNW 2017 is designed for industry professionals and researchers with an interest in key disruptive technologies. The conference’s aim is to explore some examples of the trajectory of technological innovation outside of the ocean community with the objective of sparking new ideas across disciplines and sectors.

It will continue the theme of past years by taking a longer term view of the capabilities that will shape our future ability to explore, understand, develop and protect the oceans, while also building on topics discussed during the main OINA conference.

The focus will be on the direction of aspects of ocean science that Munk has worked on in his long career, and how diverse technological innovations, including emerging robotic technologies and the latest developments in machine learning and autonomy, might contribute to progress.

Justin Manley, chair of the OINA 2017 Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels technical track, and Founder, Just Innovation, said: “Catch the Next Wave has proven to be a powerful opportunity to learn from innovators both within and without the ocean community. The carefully crafted program and exceptional attendees make for an exceptional learning and networking experience. I am eager to see innovative ideas from diverse speakers alongside subjects honoring one of oceanology’s living legends, Walter Munk.”