Message from the President: ASLO: Focus on Purpose and People

Abstract

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7. It is one of many dates that are seared in our minds and that changed history in a split second. For those of us in the U.S., September 11 and January 6 are other such dates. For our Israeli friends and colleagues, October 7 will also remain a day of infamy, a day when life changed in an instant. Our hearts break for those who have lost family or friends, or who endured—and/or may be continuing to endure—unspeakable horrors. It is almost impossible to understand the inhumanity of sheer cruelty when used as a tactic of war.

The constant coverage and images of the humanitarian plight of the Gazans is also shocking and appalling. Ukrainians who are entering their third year of war have also faced unbearable hardships and ghastly cruelty. Others in the world, whose stories have faded from the news, have faced, or are facing, hideous crimes against humanity.

ASLO is apolitical but ASLO decries the brutality and impacts of the raging wars. We do not endorse political candidates, and we do not endorse political statements. Our policy positions have related to water, climate change, and other issues of major environmental concern.

ALSO has as its purpose to foster a diverse, international scientific community that creates, integrates, and communicates knowledge across the full spectrum of aquatic sciences, advances public awareness and education about aquatic resources and research, and promotes scientific stewardship of aquatic resources for the public interest. ASLO is a global society, with greater than 50% of its members hailing from outside the continental United States (Glibert 2023). ALSO takes pride in being a global family. ASLO is its members!

As with any family, relationships can be complicated. And, as a family, we are people with differences. We are men, women and nonbinary, black, brown, white and more, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other. We are straight, we are LGBTQIA+. We are disabled and non-disabled. We also have many different opinions. Coming to know each other one on one, as colleagues, helps to lift the veil and mystery of otherness.

The beauty of a society is that members are diverse but come together for a common purpose. The mosaic of diversity enriches us in endless ways. We are scientists. We undertake the work we do because we care about our environment. We communicate with other scientists, as people, as friends, as colleagues. We educate students and work to inform the greater public.

ASLO realizes that serving a diverse community is not easy, and it takes work. ASLO has taken actions to not only diversify its representation, but to actively train leadership in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Policies are now in place (and continually reviewed) to ensure safe and welcoming meetings. ASLO does not tolerate racism, sexism, or homophobia. ASLO condemns anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Asian, and any related intolerant speech or action. The ASLO board is continuing to find ways to actively, creatively train its leadership and members about what it means to embrace inclusivity; one and done is not enough. ASLO needs to do more, and cannot tire of this work, as our board, our leadership, and our members change over time.

As ASLO moves forward, it will continue to strive to be an international society. This means serving all members of the international community. ASLO seeks to hold meetings and other opportunities (e.g., LOREX, the Limnology and Oceanography Research exchange program; see Schieler 2023) in outstanding locations that meet the needs of our members logistically and culturally (but we face the reality that a substantial amount of time exists between meeting location selection and actual events, and there may be political winds that change in between). We may not like the government policies of some nations, but policies are not people. In the past year, ASLO has wrestled with many difficult decisions about how to expand membership, and how to engage in furthering the international community of ASLO. Our work in meeting our purpose is a work in progress. ASLO may not always get it right, making continued efforts all the more necessary.

Our hearts go out to those whose lives have been destroyed and upended and who are in pain due to current world crises. ASLO cannot solve the traumas of a lifetime, but we can strive to be a welcoming, compassionate people who treat each other with respect. As we come to know each other as people, we will realize that personal opinions regarding politics and governmental policies should not interfere with the bonds we form as friends, or the decisions we make in ASLO leadership.

Come, be a part of the ASLO family. Get involved! Our meetings and conferences are ideal times to reach out and make those new acquaintances and friends. Volunteer for a committee or consider running for the board (and be sure to vote when the election opens!). Organize a session or workshop. Become a meeting mentor. At the least, renew your membership and join our meetings! Tell us whether we are successful in making conferences accessible for your needs and what we can do better. Let us know what we can do to make you part of our family and to forge connections. Together we will continue to strive to make ASLO a welcoming, diverse, fun, and rewarding community.