NOAA’s ocean exploration advisory board forges ahead with new members

On December 10, 2020, the NOAA Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB) will hold its 18th meeting. With the June 2020 release of the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, ocean exploration is in the spotlight. During the December meeting, the OEAB will make recommendations to the administration for advancing ocean exploration over the next 6-12 months. It will do so with five new members on board.

These new members bring a wealth of valuable experience to the OEAB, a federal advisory committee that advises the NOAA administrator on matters pertaining to ocean exploration. OEAB members represent government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions, and nonprofit institutions involved in all facets of ocean exploration.

The new members were appointed in response to a solicitation in the Federal Register seeking individuals with expertise in areas relevant to the statutory purpose of the OEAB and the ocean exploration act established under 33 USC § 3401 et seq. They are:

New OEAB Members for 2020

From left to right: Vicki Ferrini, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; Eric King, Director of Operations, Schmidt Ocean Institute; Justin Manley, Founder and President, Just Innovation Inc.; David Millar, Government Accounts Director, Fugro USA; and Clara Smart, Ph.D., Ocean Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

• Vicki Ferrini, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
• Eric King, Director of Operations, Schmidt Ocean Institute
• Justin Manley, Founder and President, Just Innovation Inc.
• David Millar, Government Accounts Director, Fugro USA
• Clara Smart, Ph.D., Ocean Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

The new members join five continuing members and will serve three-year terms (renewable once). They replace board members whose terms recently expired. To prepare for additional term expirations in 2021, NOAA published another solicitation for new members on November 9 to fill up to four vacancies on the OEAB with individuals demonstrating expertise in areas of scientific research relevant to ocean exploration, including marine archaeology, and ocean-science education and communication. Applications are due December 9, 2020.   

The OEAB is administered by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

For more information, please contact Monica Allen, Director of Public Affairs, NOAA Research at monica.allen@noaa.gov or 202-379-6693.