In Memoriam: Professor Charles Messing (1948-2023)
Location
HCAS Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University
Start
2-14-2025 1:30 PM
End
2-14-2025 2:00 PM
Abstract
Charles Garrett Messing (1948 – 2023) was born in the Bronx, New York. He earned degrees at Rutgers University (Biological Science, 1970) and the University of Miami (MS Biological Oceanography, 1975; PhD Biological Oceanography, 1979). Also known as “Chuck” by friends, his research focused primarily on the taxonomy, ecology and evolution of living crinoids. He taught invertebrate biology to undergraduate and graduate students for over two decades at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Dania Beach. His first submersible dive was aboard the R/V Alvin in 1975 to a deep- sea canyon in the Bahamas. This began 14 deep-sea submersible expeditions funded by NSF and NOAA, Charles’s contributions to marine exploration were unparalleled. He routinely dove on various submersibles including Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution’s Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) down to 3000 ft, and Karl Stanley’s submersible in Roatan Honduras. In addition to his academic appointment at Nova Southeastern University, Charles had research appointments at the Smithsonian Institution and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. His vibrant style made his mark on students and faculty alike. After almost 30- years of teaching and research, Chuck retired as Professor Emeritus in 2019. Professor Messing also had a penchant (using his ears and hands) for the fine arts, as he was a prolific pen and ink artist, actor and singer, sometimes merging his talents with scientific purposes. Charles has appeared in several television or online documentaries such as PBS’ ChangingSeas.tv. He met his loving wife, Lissa Messing at a musical venue, and leaves her, many colleagues and friends with an enduring legacy of scholarship, song and laughter. (See also https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2023.0161).
In Memoriam: Professor Charles Messing (1948-2023)
HCAS Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University
Charles Garrett Messing (1948 – 2023) was born in the Bronx, New York. He earned degrees at Rutgers University (Biological Science, 1970) and the University of Miami (MS Biological Oceanography, 1975; PhD Biological Oceanography, 1979). Also known as “Chuck” by friends, his research focused primarily on the taxonomy, ecology and evolution of living crinoids. He taught invertebrate biology to undergraduate and graduate students for over two decades at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Dania Beach. His first submersible dive was aboard the R/V Alvin in 1975 to a deep- sea canyon in the Bahamas. This began 14 deep-sea submersible expeditions funded by NSF and NOAA, Charles’s contributions to marine exploration were unparalleled. He routinely dove on various submersibles including Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution’s Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) down to 3000 ft, and Karl Stanley’s submersible in Roatan Honduras. In addition to his academic appointment at Nova Southeastern University, Charles had research appointments at the Smithsonian Institution and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. His vibrant style made his mark on students and faculty alike. After almost 30- years of teaching and research, Chuck retired as Professor Emeritus in 2019. Professor Messing also had a penchant (using his ears and hands) for the fine arts, as he was a prolific pen and ink artist, actor and singer, sometimes merging his talents with scientific purposes. Charles has appeared in several television or online documentaries such as PBS’ ChangingSeas.tv. He met his loving wife, Lissa Messing at a musical venue, and leaves her, many colleagues and friends with an enduring legacy of scholarship, song and laughter. (See also https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2023.0161).