One of the things that struck me during a recent visit with Dr. William M. “Barney” Balch, senior research scientist at Bigelow Lab, was his sense of curiosity. Our conversation reminded me of our very earliest interactions at the old Bigelow Lab in West Boothbay Harbor when I photographed with and for Clarice and Charlie Yentsch. Barney was there from the beginning of Bigelow at that location, a devoted associate of the Yentsch tenure.

Barney got bitten by the curiosity bug at an early age and was encouraged by a high school chemistry teacher to pursue his interests in science. At the tender age of 14 he signed on with Charlie Yentsch at a University of Massachusetts facility not far from where Barney grew up in Rockport. That was 51 years ago. Fifty years ago Barney also became curious about music with a hope of playing the French horn, a sophisticated and not inexpensive instrument. He was encouraged to pass on the French horn and try the trombone which was immediately available. It was a serendipitous arrangement which has evolved and lasted as long and significantly as Dr. Balch’s scientific career. The group “Novel Jazz” is well known with many play dates. Barney and his musical friends are an entertaining adventure. Wait for it!

It occurs to me as I write that the core root of the word “research” is “search” and that is exactly what Barney has been about for 50 odd years. At every level of education and in many oceans, he has been looking for information and accumulating data meant to inform the oceanographic community and beyond. From his earliest years with Dr. Yentsch, Barney has been intrigued by and interested in the world of oceans, their movements, changes and adaptations. A big part of searching the Earth’s waters has focused on the tiniest yet most critical life cycles of critters called phytoplankton which are so inextricably linked to the health and well being of practically everything in the ocean.

In the accompanying photos today, you can see some of the tools used to gather data about ocean health. Even when I met with Barney in his office at Bigelow there were computer screens and books and charts galore all of which provided a glimpse into the history and functioning of ocean life, particularly focused upon the microscopic population to which Dr. Balch has dedicated his scientific career.

I found the torpedo-like object seen with Barney to be quite fascinating. Speaking of searching! These submersible drones, as they are called, collect data in the Gulf of Maine, and elsewhere I suspect, which helps to provide scientific information about the waters nearby and how changing conditions impact sea life, and our lives, in many cases. Ocean waters flow in great rivers that provide and extract nutrients, and Barney Balch has spent his lifetime observing and recording these ocean systems.

On an office computer, he was able to show me the actual adjustments that have occurred, relatively recently, to the waters of New England and beyond. Ultimately these changes will have significant impact on fish and lobster populations, and us!

Dr. Balch and his colleagues continue the search to explore the world we inhabit and to perhaps give us a glimpse into the future. I, for one, am grateful for their efforts and significant contributions to the understanding of our critical ocean relationships.