Mary Sears: The Oceanographer Who Helped Win World War II
Early Life and Education
Mary Sears was born in 1905 in Wayland, Massachusetts. She developed a passion for marine biology at a young age. Despite facing prejudice as a woman in science, she earned a doctorate in zoology in 1933.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Sears joined the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in 1933. She became a leading expert on plankton and other marine life. However, as a woman, she was not allowed to sail on the institution’s research vessels.
World War II and the Navy
When World War II broke out, Sears joined the Women’s Naval Reserve (WAVES). She was assigned to the Hydrographic Office, where she analyzed oceanographic data for the Navy.
Oceanographic Intelligence
Sears’ team at the Hydrographic Office played a crucial role in providing oceanographic intelligence for amphibious operations. They produced reports on tides, currents, and other ocean conditions that helped the Navy plan landings.
Battle of Tarawa
The lack of oceanographic intelligence contributed to the high casualties at the Battle of Tarawa in 1943. Sears’ team had identified the potential for low tides and reefs, but their warnings were not heeded.
JANIS Reports
Sears and her team developed the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS) reports. These reports provided detailed oceanographic information for specific targets, including the Philippines, Marianas, and Carolines.
Anti-Submarine Warfare
Sears also played a key role in anti-submarine warfare. She collected and analyzed data on ocean temperatures and thermoclines, which helped the Navy locate and track enemy submarines.
Legacy
After the war, Sears continued to work in oceanography. She was a founding co-editor of Deep Sea Research and coordinated the first International Oceanographic Congress. She retired from Woods Hole in 1970 and died in 1997.
Impact on the Navy
Sears’ work revolutionized the Navy’s approach to oceanography and amphibious warfare. Her oceanographic intelligence helped the Navy win the Pacific campaign and save countless lives.
Additional Details
- Sears’ team at the Hydrographic Office was responsible for analyzing over 33 oceanographic topics for each target region.
- The JANIS reports covered a wide range of oceanographic phenomena, including tides, currents, sea level rise, and wave patterns.
- Sears’ work on anti-submarine warfare helped the Navy develop new tactics and technologies for detecting and tracking submarines.
- In 2000, the US Navy christened a new oceanographic survey ship, the USNS Mary Sears, in her honor.
Keywords:
- Amphibious operations
- Battle of Tarawa
- Hydrographic surveys
- JANIS reports
- Marine biology
- Navy
- Oceanographic intelligence
- Oceanography
- Submarine warfare
- Tides
- Underwater topography
