Taking census of the world's oceans

October 1, 2004

Taking census of the world's oceans

by Catherine Young

	Ron O'Dor, Senior Scientist, Census of Marine Life aboard the icebreaker Louis Saint Laurent in Bellot Strait, Nunavit, at 72 degrees North in July 2004.

Biology professor Ron O'Dor has been on leave working with the Census of Marine Life in Washington, D.C. for the last three years.

The Census of Marine Life, an ambitious worldwide initiative to assess marine organisms in the world's oceans, involves Dalhousie and 62 other institutions. O'Dor is senior scientist on the project and oversees its projects around the globe.

Now, O'Dor has returned to Dal part-time. Since July 1, 2004, he has been Associate Dean of Science for Research and Development. His Census work has given the researcher and authority on cephalopods (octopi and their kin) a new skill. He's now a terrific juggler - of travel itineraries. One recent trip took O'Dor from Washington to the Azores to Tasmania within days.

He will still keep travelling for the Census but now, O'Dor can use his journeys to promote Dal. As he says, "What Keith Taylor [Dean of Science] recognizes is that I can spread the word about Dalhousie all over the world."

Despite his schedule, O'Dor still makes time for research: "I continue to do my squid stuff." Using satellite technology, he's tracking squid migrations in Mexico's Sea of Cortez in his spare time.