Gene Shinn - NOGI

:: Gene Shinn - Science - 1984

After 31 years, Gene Shinn retired from the USGS. Gene has been a scientific pioneer in the Survey for as many years but to recap an incredibly productive and inspiring career for the many students that followed him: Gene came to the USGS after a distinguished career at Shell Oil and in 1974 established the Fisher Island Field Station, Miami Beach, Florida. This was tough duty and Gene should have received hazard pay for all of the "Mariolitos" and drug paraphernalia that washed up on the shores of Fisher Island during those years. But these diversions did not stop him from winning a USGS award for developing a hydraulic drilling device and extensively publishing on reef ecosystems and modern and ancient carbonate sediments. In fact, his research on carbonates was groundbreaking as he showed that extensive modern submarine lithification was occurring in the Persian Gulf. His research with others in the Pacific Enewetak Atoll Crater Experiment (PEACE) project in Enewetak, Marshall Islands, helped to determine the size and depth of nuclear craters at the time of the actual explosion. These data were used to affect the military's plan to establish the MX missile plan! Gene was a co-discoverer of modern giant submarine stromatolites (considered to be the first life forms on earth) that are forming in the

Exuma Islands, Bahamas. This was an incredibly exciting discovery that, besides being the cover story of an issue of Science, was the discovery of living fossils thought to have disappeared during the Paleozoic era - the only modern forms known at the time were in very shallow, hypersaline waters in western Australia.

In 1989 when he moved to the Coastal and Marine Geology Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, Gene was working on a project that explored the effects of offshore drilling on ecosystems. A topic that still rages on today and is as timely as it was then. Ever the pioneer in uncovering/exposing environmental issues, Gene also lead a project from 1991-1994 that helped to determine pathways and movement of sewage contaminated groundwater in the Florida coral reef tract. These data have been used widely and are the basis for a number of court cases and environmental hearings. Later, he continued to work on groundwater seepage rates and direction of flow in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Recently though, most people recognize Gene for his research and theories on the effects of African Dust on coral reef ecosystems. Again, ever the pioneer, Gene recognized and was the first to lead the Global Dust Group to identify that major dust events coming from Africa contain viable microbes that could potentially be harmful to various species and ecosystems. His research even spawned a fictional novel by Sarah Andrews entitled "Killer Dust"!

Gene's scientific impact spreads far and wide. Amazingly, scientists and lay people alike know him, have seen him on TV, talked to him on the phone, or have e-mailed him. Why? Because Gene has always been the great communicator and has always communicated on all levels. He has been an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer and has received three Best Paper and Outstanding Paper Awards from major journals and national meetings. In 2003, he won the USGS Shoemaker Communication Award in recognition of his communications skills. Gene has lead field courses for geologists since the 1950s. Carefully elucidating how to observe carbonate producing organisms, their accumulated sediments, and their interpretations in ancient rocks, three generations of want-to-be sedimentologists have been tutored by Gene. It is not unusual for students to greet Gene with the admonition that "my father or mother says your field trip in 19xx was the best experience of his/her life." Eugene Shinn's extraordinary contributions to carbonate sedimentology and coral reef ecosystems were recognized in 1991 by the Meritorious Service Award of the Department of Interior, in 1998 by Honorary Membership in the Society for Sedimentary Geology, and in 1998 by an Honorary Doctoral Degree bestowed by the University of South Florida. Although "retired" (not!), Gene remains dedicated to pursuing his scientific interest as a Courtesy Professor at the University of South Florida, College of Marine Sciences.