Sea Legs: Tales of a Woman Oceanographer

by Kathleen Crane

Sea Legs is the story of Kathleen Crane, one of the first women oceanographers out of the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. By turns personal and objective, Crane tells how her quest for freedom led her to the sea and her research of deep-sea underwater volcanoes. As research doors in the United States closed during the 1980s, Crane charted her scientific future with the Europeans and with scientists from the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. In the process she became an unwitting diplomat. From the Galapagos dives in the Alvin and the early searches for Titanic , to many of the first scientific expeditions of the Arctic, Crane offers an exclusive and compelling first-hand account as a pioneer for women in oceanography. An explorer, environmentalist, and filmmaker, Crane's story encompasses the world's oceans, politics, international relations, scientific espionage, ships, and a passion for the natural world. At its heart, however, this is a story about humanity and the forces that drive people to persevere, despite the odds, and do the things they love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Memoir

328 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2004

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathleen Crane's work was instrumental in the discovery of hydrothermal vents. Her memoir is "Sea Legs: Tales of a Woman Oceanographer". It's a good book, and absolutely wonderful picture of what doing science can be like as a career. If there had been representation like this when I was growing-up, I have no idea what I would have wound-up doing.

[Jen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It is a memoir of the personal journey of the life and career of Kathleen Crane, currently a program manager at NOAA. The book describes Crane's triumphs and challenges navigating the difficult career path of marine geophysics as a woman in the 1970s. As a fellow female oceanographer who has benefitted from the struggles and successes of Crane and others of her generation, I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about this fascinating woman and the history of American and Soviet oceanography. Having also spent time in the Galapagos and coastal Georgia, I particularly enjoyed those passages of the book, which is beautifully written and extremely honest and accessible. Crane's graduate research enabled the discovery of deep sea hydrothermal vents, although it seems that she was never properly credited for her groundbreaking findings, since I (formerly a student and now professor of marine science) did not know about her role in the discovery until I read this book. I was also inspired to read of Crane's subsequent expeditions to remote locations in the Arctic and Lake Baikal, and her role in establishing important collaborations with Russian scientists before and after the fall of the Soviet Union. I'm truly inspired by Crane's life history and so glad that she took the time to record it. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did!

[Niall519 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less about the actual science, and slightly more about the sociology, politics, and history of oceanography in the 20th century than I was hoping for. Something it shared in common with Mozart In The Jungle (another of my random reads from earlier in the year) but less what I was after, having just rocketed through An Ocean Of Air.

Still, it was a good read, with some great pictures, and a good list of recommended reading at the back. It shed some light on the paranoid intersections of international politics and research during the Cold War period, and the resultant positive and negative effects. I'm also impressed by the dedication and professional approach that the author has taken to her science, and the introspection displayed in places when she pondered about or took action to rebalance other aspects of her life.

Not going to make me rush out and become an oceanographic geologist though.

[Hannah Harrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book Sea Legs: Tales of woman oceanographer was ok. It was very boring in parts and I wish it was more exciting.
It is about a womans journey becoming one of the first oceanographers in the US. As the cold war begins she travels to study in Russia, where she learns great lessons in marine biology.
This book strangly has a lot of politics in it and it is less about marine biology which I thought it was about. I didn't really like this and I don't think I would recommend it to any of my friends.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected bits about post cold war attitudes in the US and science.