The second annual Ocean Awareness Day honoring the late oceanographer Walter Munk’s 80-year legacy of exploration and discovery through scientific research, education, and ocean conservation, will take place Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.

The event’s purpose is to raise awareness of the fragility of the oceans and environment. The dedication ceremony will feature the unveiling of the bronze sculpture, “From the Heights of Mt. Soledad to the Depths of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla,” depicting the topography of Mt. Soledad to the bathymetry of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla.

Festivities are to include coffee and Mexican food trucks, 48 exhibitors, interactive ocean-related activities, Kumeyaay Bird Singers and Tule boat building, ribbon cuttings, and a tour of the map of the grand canyons of La Jolla.

Mary Munk noted her late husband once said: “People should treat the oceans like we do anything else that we care about – with consideration, with care, and affection. That’s it. For that, we must educate.”

Ocean Awareness Day also promises to be a special event in that it honors the Kumeyaay heritage and culture in La Jolla, with numerous dignitaries in attendance. There will be music, face painters, and lots of fun for everyone.

The late world-renowned oceanographer Walter Munk of La Jolla and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who died Feb. 8, 2019, at age 101, has a manta ray (Mobula munkianas) and the La Jolla Shores boardwalk, Walter Munk Way, named for him. He even has a foundation bearing his name and continuing his lifelong legacy of scientific research.

Founded in 2017, the nonprofit Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans is working diligently to continue its iconic exploration and discovery through scientific research, education, and ocean conservation.

“Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans is a collaborative foundation, acting locally and globally to bridge gaps between ocean research, education, and conservation by increasing accessibility to all things ocean through engagement with diverse communities,” said Mary Munk. “Our board members and staff of oceanographers, educators, and conservationists work with local students and community members to develop an understanding of our fragile oceans and marine environment, thus inspiring much-needed stewardship.”

WALTER MUNK BIO

Referred to as the “Einstein of the oceans,” Walter Heinrich Munk, was born on Oct. 19, 1917, in Vienna, Austria, and died on Feb. 8, 2019, at age 101. Munk was a physical oceanographer and professor of geophysics emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. One of the first scientists to bring statistical methods to the analysis of oceanographic data, Munk was one of the world’s foremost authorities on winds and waves, including the study of polar ice melting from global warming. Munk and his doctoral advisor developed methods for forecasting wave conditions which were used in support of beach landings in all theaters of the war including Normandy and D-Day. He was also involved with oceanographic programs during the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.

Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans is working on:

– EIS programs: It’s estimated that 80% of the students in underserved communities have never been to the beach/ocean. The foundation works with San Diego Unified School District to provide five full-day field trips taking students to the Walter Munk Educational Plaza and The Map of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla in Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.

– The Remora program: In partnership with Cousteau Divers and Odyssea Divers, the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans is conducting citizen science off the coast of San Diego. Recreational divers can take a small ocean measurement device with them on their dives to measure temperature and depth. This important information helps scientists monitor local Marine Protected Areas and introduces interested people to oceanography and ocean observation.

– Shade Structure Repair and Shade Sail Replacement:  Money has been raised money for the repair and repainting of the shade structure and replacement of the Shade Sail for the bronze sculpture of J.J. the Orphaned Baby Gray Whale at Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.