Oceanography On the Chopping Block

Word from Tallahassee is that oceanography may be out at FSU!

Florida State administrators this afternoon released a draft of proposed wide-sweeping cutbacks at the university, based on current reductions in state revenue. If enacted, they would dramatically alter the university as we know it. Twenty-one degree programs at FSU would be eliminated, including anthropology, German, oceanography, physical education and hospitality and golf management.

What?  This is not Billy Boy Foothills College with an oceanography program with 5 students.  This is bloody f’in  Florida State University Oceanography Program! Now granted I don’t know the specifics of what is being cut, but the oceanography program only possesses Masters and Ph.d. programs.  The program includes two very prominent deep-sea biologists, Amy Baco-Taylor and David Thistle.  David’s work is required reading for anybody interested in deep-sea biodiversity.  Amy is an up and comer with an already impressive list of publications and no doubt many more on the horizon.  Not to mention there is Allan Clark who wrote the book on El Nino, literally (“An Introduction to the Dynamics of El Nino & the Southern Oscillation“). I could go through the list but let me finish by saying that you would be hard pressed to find a month without a publication from this group in the most prominent journals.

So where does this leave us?  Honestly, it is too depressing to consider.  Even more depressing is that Science Education, Geological Sciences, and Geography are going to be potentially cut as well.