Maury for modern times navigating a racist legacy in ocean science

Abstract

Amid recent calls in the United States and elsewhere to remove statues and other references that glorify historically racist figures, we offer a reexamina-tion of nineteenth-century naval officer and early ocean scientist Matthew Fontaine Maury. While Maury made significant contributions toward understanding and repre-senting the ocean-atmosphere system and argued for increased support from both gov-ernment and the public for such studies, his work, including his science, was also inex-tricably involved in his nation’s imperialist goals. Before and after his resignation from the United States Navy to join the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Maury worked for the perpetuation and expansion of race-based slavery. For these reasons, we argue that oceanographers, historians, and the public need to rethink depictions of Maury that glorify his accomplishments without interrogating their darker side. Presenting honest portrayals is not only historically responsible but also aids the larger endeavor to recruit and retain more diverse students and scientists for ocean science.