The OceansWide Staff
Campbell "Buzz" Scott, President
 In my life I have been extremely fortunate to see and experience
some extraordinary things. I was raised on Matinicus Island,
Maine and spent 17 years as a commercial fisherman in the
Gulf of Maine. I have also spent 2 years on supply ships
in the Gulf of Mexico and 4 years working for the United
States Antarctic Program as a marine technician and marine
projects coordinator, sailing on scientific research ships
around Antarctica. Even coming from a state that's
well known for its cold winters, this was nothing like I had
ever known. I spent months during the dark of the Antarctic
night crashing through sea-ice that was at times over 20
feet thick, with air temperatures that stayed deep
in the negative numbers and winds that would blast the paint
off the boat. But on the other hand the still summers in
Antarctica were almost welcoming, and with the return of open
water came free floating icebergs and thousands of animals.
The penguins, seals and albatross seemed to come from every
direction, and whales of every kind - humpbacks, fin, blues,
minkes and orcas - came to feed in the krill rich waters. It
was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen and
still is.
Most recently I have traded in the cool Antarctic climates
for a slightly warmer spot. I have spent 8 years sailing
up and down the west coast of the United States, Mexico and
Canada. I have been sailing as a pilot and mechanical technician,
flying a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for the Monterey
Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, California.
The tethered submarine that I fly is called Tiburon. It has
allowed me to work closely with scientists from around the
world as they study the deep canyons and volcanic fields
deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. I have flown
the submarine while scientists discover and capture animals
in the midwater that have never been seen before, and from
what I've seen we are just barely scratching the surface.
Since I have begun working with the all world-class people
at MBARI, I have been amazed and humbled as I have learned
about the many different facets of deep sea exploration and
science research.
 I spent four years studying biology and mechanical engineering at the
University of Maine in Orono where I learned great deal
of things, but it is the work I have done since then that has given me
a truly invaluable education. I look forward to returning
to Maine and to having the chance to share my experiences
and gain some new ones as we offer the students of Maine
an opportunity to get a head start on their own experiences
in life.
And to end on a personal note; I really look forward
to
sharing these experiences with my own wonderful children
Connor, Sarah Caitlyn, Sena and Yena.
Dr. Peter Girguis, Assistant Professor, Harvard University
 I
am an assistant professor in the Organismal and Evolutionary
Biology department at Harvard University. My research focuses
on deep-sea marine microbial physiology, in particular
how microbes mediate carbon and nitrogen cycling at hydrothermal
vents and hydrocarbon seeps. I grew up in Downey, CA, a
blue-collar town where they assembled much of the Apollo
rockets and the space shuttle. Although the schools in
Downey were quite bad, the people of Downey (including
my parents) cared about education, science and technology.
And so, after years of struggling through classes, I attended
UCLA where I earned a B.Sc. in Marine Biology. I later
attended the University of California Santa Barbara, where
I received a Ph.D. for my research on the metabolism of Riftia
pachyptila, a deep sea vent tubeworm. I was then a
postdoctoral research fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Research Institute, where I studied microbial methane metabolism
and was expedition leader on numerous dives in the Monterey
canyon and the Juan de Fuca ridge. I enjoy my research,
and I also enjoy being at sea and diving to the seafloor
in the DSV Alvin, including my dive to the middle of nowhere
(thanks to a bad map). I equally enjoy sharing my experiences
with students and the general public, and reminding people
that it is never too late to pursue your dreams. When I'm
not at sea or at my desk, I spend much of my time fixing
broken gadgets and wondering where the day went.
 Eben Franks
C. Eben Franks has had more than 35 years experience as a sailor, seaman,
sea-going technician, geological engineer, geochemist, marine science
educator, underwater vehicle pilot, adventurer and ocean explorer.
Between 1981 and 2002, he was manager of the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution's Stable Isotope Paleoclimate lab. During that time,
he personally collected over 500 deep sea sediment cores ranging in length
from a few inches to more than 100 feet. In 2002, Eben collected the longest
sediment core ever taken in the Arctic, more than 65 feet. He has analyzed
approximately 70,000 samples spanning all of the world's oceans.
This immense amount of data has provided detailed records of global climate
and ocean circulation changes over the past 5 million years.
Since 1971, Eben has spent a total of 8 years at sea on research vessels
and offshore exploratory oil and gas platforms including a 7 month expedition
to study plate tectonics on the West African Margin and in the South Atlantic
in 1972. Since graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in
Geology in 1977, he has visited 25 countries and participated in more
than 40 major expeditions from the Equator to high latitudes studying
climate change, physical oceanography, marine geology, marine biology
and underwater archeology. During the summer of 2005, Eben was the pilot
of an underwater remotely operated vehicle on a 5 week expedition in the
Arctic for the NOAA Ocean Exploration program. During dives to as deep
as 9,000 feet, dozens of new species were discovered, filmed and collected
as a key component of the Census of Marine Life and NOAA Hidden Ocean
Arctic 2005 programs.
Currently employed as an Applications Engineer and ROV pilot for Teledyne-Benthos,
Inc. in North Falmouth, Mass, Eben's current interests include marine
casualty investigations, underwater exploration and archeology, science
education, climate change, maritime domain awareness, port security as
well as emergency underground communications for the mining industry.
When not exploring the world's oceans, Eben tends to his hobbies
at home in Bourne, Mass.
Ben Long, Grants Writer
Michael Barndollar, Development Director & Funding Consultant
Ronn Orenstein, Public Relations Consultant
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More about OceansWide
2008 Summer Camps
Registration is now open for the OceansWide 2008 Summer Camps.
More Info
For more information about OceansWide please email info@oceanswide.org or call 207-563-7774.
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