Scientist Emeritus Accomplishments

Roland Von Huene is organizing a meeting to interpret the 3D seismic reflection data acquired by RV Langseth off Costa Rica for CRISP (Costa Rica Seismogenesis Investigation Program).  The objective is to drill the active seismogenic zone with DV Chikyu.  

• 
  Based on current technical information needs identified by the WFRC directorate, Wedemeyer reorganized the Center’s technical library to promote user efficiency, identify and archive documents of historical importance, and reduce the storage space required for journals and books.
  
• 
  Provided technical assistance to fisheries resource managers as requested to promote the physiological health, quality, and survival of Pacific salmon released from federal and state mitigation and conservation hatcheries.
  
• 
  Provided external peer review of numerous articles requested by editors of scientific journals
  
• 
  Provided internal peer review of WFRC research proposals and technical reports as requested.
  
• 
  Assisted with WFRC outreach activities and WFRC website content as requested.
  
• 
  In 2012, Wedemeyer was inducted into the Northwest Fish Cultural Conference Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime contributions to fisheries biology.
  
• 
  In 2013, Wedemeyer was inducted into the American Fisheries Society Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime contributions to fisheries biology.
  
• 
  Wedemeyer received the 2010 WFRC Special Recognition for Services Award for contributions enhancing the mission of the Center
  
• 
  Wedemeyer’s 1996 textbook "Physiology of Fish in Intensive Culture" was chosen by the Springer Book Archives project to be digitized and made available at little or no cost to achieve the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals to provide the developing world with access to critical scientific research needed to empower universities, colleges, research institutes, and government ministries responsible for fishery resource development.
  
• 
  Wedemeyer gave a seminar on the biological consequences of Global Warming as part of the Horizon House Retirement Center Invited Speaker Seminar series.
  
• 
  Began work to assist the center directorate in making the WFRC publications database more accessible to user groups by adding Digital Object Identifies and/or URL hyperlinks, particularly to those papers which have become citation classics in their field.
  

Dr. Barnhardt and his center staff have provided outstanding support to me and my colleagues as we have worked assiduously to publish the remaining books and maps in two USGS series.  In addition, the fine staff at the Pembroke, NH PSC, Debra Foster, Chief, has prepared and published the text and graphics for the several books;  Jim Estabrook, Cartographic Unit (Reston) and his staff have done a superb job in preparing and publishing the Antarctic maps. Both of these efforts are major, collaborative international projects with foreign scientists and institutions directed at supporting the USGS obligations to the inter-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program mission and represent an international obligation of the USGS as a science agency.  Rapid changes in the Earth's glaciers are causing an annual rise in global sea level, hence the critical scientific importance of completing the publication of these products by the USGS.

As you know, many retired U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have one or more other affiliations that provide multiple opportunities for lecturing, publishing, travel, providing scientific advice, improving the “public understanding of science,” mentoring young scientists, leading geologic field trips, service as Trustees on foundations, etc. My affiliations, in addition to being an Emeritus Senior Research Geologist (ST), USGS, are Emeritus Vice Chairman, Committee for Research and Exploration, National Geographic Society; Adjunct Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center; Trustee, Leifur Eiríksson Foundation; and Director-Science, Geoscience Information Services. Since my retirement from the USGS in January 2008, I have made many professional contributions to each of these institutions; it all depends on my obligation to each and how much support I am provided as to what I work on professionally.

In the case of the USGS, since January 2008, I have worked 1/3 to ½ time (with my retired co-editor and author, Jane G. Ferrigno) completing three important scientific efforts, two of which have been supported by sequestered and protected Working Capital Fund monies to publish several books in the USGS Prof. Paper 1386-A-K series (Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World) and the I-2600-A-X, Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations map series (Coastal-Change and Glaciological Maps of Antarctica). You stated in your 7 May 2014 e-mail not to worry about citing these publications (10 volumes of PP-1386 and 10 maps of I-2600 published to date), because they will be taken care of by the USGS Library staff. There is one more book (1386-D, Glaciers of Iceland, with map) and one more map (I-2600-J/-K, Coastal-Change and Glaciological Map of the Drygalski Ice Tongue/Oates Coast) in production and recorded, with IPPA numbers, as products to be produced by the Enterprise Publications Network (Pembroke, NH PSC).

I also have another NASA-funded book, “Geomorphology of the Volcanoes of Iceland and Mars,” (authored by me and two Icelandic geologists); it is the third professional obligation as an Emeritus Senior Research Geologist (ST) that needs to be finished to fulfill, in this case, an inter-agency obligation. The three products (two books and one map, although one of the books includes a map plate) noted above are my only USGS obligations remaining from a long and productive career with the agency.

However, a very serious problem associated with publishing these last three products under USGS auspices will be addressed in a letter to be sent to you after mid-July 2014; I am currently on extended foreign and domestic travel and can't do so now.  The problem falls within the purview of your Office of Science Quality and Integrity, especially the latter.

• 
  Organized and chaired two sessions (oral session and poster session) on climate change impacts on coasts for the AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu
  
• 
  Helped organize and moderated a USGS-sponsored 2-day workshop on modeling storm surge flooding hosted by Staten Island College
  
• 
  Continue to serve as USGS-appointed commodity expert on marine sand and gravel resources. Respond to 4-6 requests @year.
  
• 
  Served as an invited expert reviewer for coastal and ocean parts of the UN's IPCC AR5 Climate Assessment report
  
• 
  Served as an invited author of the 2014 US National Climate Assessment Report. I was lead author of chapter 2 of the book on coastal vulnerability that served as technical input to the NCA report
  
• 
  Served as thesis advisor on two MS theses
  
• 
  Served as invited expert reviewer of 8 manuscripts to peer-review journals
  
• 
  Served as invited internal reviewer for 5 USGS-staff manuscripts 
  
• 
  Made 7 presentations on coastal and climate change topics to various professional, school, and civic groups
  
• 
  Served as invited expert for a film on severe by NPR Science Friday, Boston Globe,  NYTs, and various other newspapers and news organizations
  
• 
  Collaborating with NPS Cape Cod National Seashore on writing a book w/ 2 co-authors on Cape Cod geology and coastal processes    
  

• 
  Dr. Toshio Yasutake has completed the initial draft of the project "Histopathology of selected parasitic salmonid diseases: a color atlas". The atlas consisting of 26 plates of color photomicrographs. Each plate consists of 3 photomicrographs, with explanations of each photograph. Two WFRC senior scientists have reviewed the manuscript. Presently, the corrections and suggested changes by the reviewers are being incorporated. After the final manuscript is completed, it will be recorded on a DVD and will be included in the WFRC website and will be available to any interested individuals. The plan is to also make it accessible on the American Fishery Society/Fish Health Section website.
  
• 
  Yasutake answered requests for technical assistance in difficult to diagnose fish disease problems from federal and state conservation hatcheries, and from the aquaculture industry worldwide.
  
• 
  Yasutake provided technical assistance on fish pathology as requested by WFRC staff scientists.
  
• 
  Yasutake provided technical assistance to senior investigators of the WFRC with selected photomicrographs as needed.
  
• 
  Yasutake was presented with the 2010 WFRC Special Recognition for Services Award for his contributions to enhance the mission of the Center.