Andreas Rechnitzer | |
|---|---|
 Crew of theBathyscapheTrieste. Rechnitzer is third from the left | |
| Born | (1924-11-30)November 30, 1924 |
| Died | August 22, 2005(2005-08-22) (aged 80) |
| Alma mater |
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| Awards | Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Oceanography |
| Thesis | A serological approach to the systematics of the viviparous sea-perches, family Embiotocidae (1955) |
| Doctoral advisor | Carl Hubbs |
Andreas Buchwald Rechnitzer (November 30, 1924 – August 22, 2005) was an Americanoceanographer. WithCarl Hubbs, he discovered thestriped yellow butterfly fish that served as the logo ofBirch Aquarium. He helped develop the firstSCUBA diving training program for ocean scientists, which included such innovations as ditch-and-don,buddy breathing, and thebuddy system. He was a member of theUS NavyOffice of Naval Research team that negotiated the purchase of thebathyscapeTrieste, and was the scientist in charge ofProject Nekton in 1960, during which theTrieste entered theChallenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the world's oceans. For this he received theNavy Distinguished Civilian Service Award. He joined the scientific staff of theChief of Naval Operations, where he was the Oceanographer of the Navy from 1970 to 1984, and was the Senior Scientist atScience Applications International Corporation from 1985 to 1998.
Andreas Buchwald Rechnitzer was born in onEscondido, California, on November 30, 1924.[1] DuringWorld War II he graduated from theUnited States Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School atFort Schuyler, New York, in 1945, and was commissioned as anensign in theUS Naval Reserve. He returned to college after the war and earned aBachelor of Science degree fromMichigan State University in 1947 and aMaster of Science from theUniversity of California at Los Angeles in 1951.[2] He wrote his 1955Doctor of Philosophy thesis onA serological approach to the systematics of the viviparous sea-perches, family Embiotocidae under the supervision ofCarl Hubbs at theScripps Institution of Oceanography.[3][4] With Hubbs he discovered thestriped yellow fish that served as the logo ofBirch Aquarium.[5]
In 1950, while still a graduate student, Rechnitzer and Conrad (Connie) Limbaugh devised the firstSCUBA diving training program for ocean scientists, although the term SCUBA had not yet been coined.[5] Their course included such innovations as ditch-and-don,buddy breathing, and thebuddy system. Their equipment consisted of twoAqualungdiving regulators (the third and fourth sold in the United States), a triple-tank unit, and a single tank. There were no diving instructors or diving shops, and thewet suit had yet to be invented. They drafted the first unofficial training, operational and safety procedures. Training was conducted in the swimming pool at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. During a dive to 100 feet (30 m) offGuadalupe Island, Mexico, Rechnitzer speared a new species ofstriped yellow butterfly fish, which was subsequently adopted for use on the logo of Birch Aquarium.[5][6][7]
After graduating from Scripps, Rechnitzer became the Deep Submergence Research Program Coordinator and Oceanographer at the Naval Electronics Laboratory inSan Diego. In this role he was instrumental in persuading the US Navy to purchase thebathyscapeTrieste, from Swiss physicistAuguste Piccard. In theTrieste he made a descent to 18,150 feet (5,530 m), a record at the time. He was the scientist in charge ofProject Nekton in 1960, during which theTriete entered theChallenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the world's oceans, and dived to 35,800 feet (10,900 m). For this he received theNavy Distinguished Civilian Service Award from PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower. He then went toRockwell International, where he was in charge of the development of the Beaver IV submersible.[5][4]
Rechnitzer left Rockwell in 1970, and became the Science and Technology Advisor in the Office of theChief of Naval Operations. He headed the Navy's Deep Submergence Systems Division from 1970 to 1973, and then served as Oceanographer of the Navy from 1974 to 1978. He became an adjunct professor at theNaval Postgraduate School in 1977. In 1974, he was the US Navy representative on theNational Geographic andDuke University expedition to determine the location of the wreck of theUSS Monitor, anAmerican Civil War-eraironclad warship. He was also involved in the discovery of the wreck of the British Royal Mail SteamshipTweed, which sank onScorpion Reef in 1847, and the English merchantmanHoliday that sank there in 1823.[2]
Awards Rechnitzer received included theAcademy of Underwater Arts and Sciences'NOGI Award for sciences in 1968, for distinguished Service in 1989, and for sports and education in 1999 and 2007.[2][8] He is the only person to have won the NOGI award three times.[9] He was made an honorary citizen of the city ofSan Diego and an honorary life member of theNational Geographic Society. He was the Diego Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Man of the Year in 1960 and 1961.[2]
Rechnitzer died atGrossmont Hospital inLa Mesa, California, on August 22, 2005.[4] He was survived by his wife Alice, daughter Andrea, and sons, David, Martin and Michael.[1]
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