Scott E. McDowell

www.scottemcdowell.com (See videos of my TV Interviews)

SCOTT E McDOWELL - BIOGRAPHY

Present Interests:

Dr. McDowell is retired from a successful career in physical oceanography and now enjoys cruising the Florida Keys and The Bahamas aboard his 60-ft motor yacht, Someday Is Now. Today, his first priority is writing non-fiction on maritime topics, as well as fiction thrillers pertaining to the sea and ocean espionage.

Oceanographic Research:

As a Ph.D. Physical Oceanographer with extensive experience in the analysis of currents, tides, waves and water quality characteristics, he conducted numerous measurement programs in coastal and deep-ocean environments. His project experience includes oceanographic studies on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bering Sea of Alaska, the Mediterranean, the South Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans and in Southeast Asia.

He is noted for having made the first-ever discovery of a 60-mile-wide ocean eddy (thereafter called Meddy) a half-mile below the surface in the western North Atlantic Ocean, which fueled international research on mid-ocean eddies over the next three decades.

Professional Experience in the Oceanographic Industry:

Dr. McDowell was initially employed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to participate as scientific crew on a 7-month geophysical investigation in the South Atlantic to assess the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the volcanic seafloor of the Antarctic Ocean. Soon after, he conducted oceanographic measurements aboard a Navy vessel during a seafloor study in the Caribbean while Dr. Robert Ballard (Titanic discoverer) conducted simultaneous measurements within a research submarine operated by the U.S. Navy. During his 3-year employment at WHOI, he participated in numerous deep-ocean studies and was co-author on research papers published in Oceanographic Journals. Enthusiastically, he participated in over 300 days of mid-ocean research during one 15-month period.

After earning his Ph.D., Dr. McDowell was employed by private industry for the next 27 years, conducting complex oceanographic measurement programs for state and federal agencies as well as commercial clients, worldwide. During his final years of employment, he managed a Marine Sciences and Environmental Planning Division with 120 staff located in 7 offices nationwide. Forty staff had M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, exemplifying the high caliber of the organization he led, with annual revenues of $23M from professional services. His responsibilities included technical and financial management, strategic planning, business development and recruiting but oceanographic work was always his key interest.