Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal

Outstanding contributions to the understanding of and/or the advancement or application of the interaction of light with the ocean and/or the consequences of such interactions.

These contributions may be demonstrated by:

• Educating and mentoring students and early career ocean professionals
• Interdisciplinary research in ocean science
• Collaborative work towards meaningful societal impact

NOMINEES

• Active membership in The Oceanography Society is not required at the time of nomination.
• TOS officers and members of the Council are not eligible for selection during their terms of service.
• Nomination is for an individual from any country. Nominations are sought of individuals that have not received similar awards in the past three years (from TOS or other societies).
• If selected, nominees must certify their compliance with all TOS policies, specifically the Professional Integrity, Ethics, and Conduct and Guidelines on Implementation.

NOMINATORS

• Anyone can serve as a nominator for another individual. Potential candidates should feel encouraged to ask a potential nominator to advance a nomination. We also encourage self-nominations. Self-nominations should also include a nomination letter.
• Nominators are not required to be TOS members.
• One co-nominator is allowed.
• Nominators must certify their compliance with all TOS policies, specifically the Professional Integrity, Ethics, and Conduct and Guidelines on Implementation and acknowledge the TOS Values Statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

SUPPORTERS

• Supporters are not required to be TOS members.

• Nominations must include the elements described in the Nomination Package section below.
• Nominations must be submitted using the online system. You will be prompted to login. If you don’t have an existing account, please create a New Users account in order to complete your submission.
• Submissions are due by October 31, 2025.

Nominations are must include the following elements:

1. CITATION

• Please suggest text that may be edited to appear in news releases and on a certificate presented to the recipient. The text of this citation should be 200 characters or less.

2. PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

• Nominee’s curriculum vita or resume (five pages maximum) must be up to date and include the nominee’s name, mailing and email addresses.
• A description of the nominee's outstanding contributions (two pages maximum). If in the form of a bibliography, include key publications or products and indicate when students or postdocs appear as first author. If in narrative form, please provide descriptions and include any links that may be available to reference material (website, projects, initiatives, etc.).

3. NOMINATION LETTER

• The nomination letter can be a maximum of two pages and must include the name, title, affiliation, and contact information for the nominator or co-nominators.
• The letter should succinctly describe why the nominee is suited to receive the award, highlight their accomplishments, and elaborate on any information that is not specifically addressed in the nomination materials.

4. SUPPORTING LETTERS

• At least two but not more than three individuals may provide support for the nomination. These individuals are in addition to the nominator or co-nominators. Supporting letters are capped at one page in length and must include the supporter's name, title, and contact information, relationship to the nominee, and clear justification for the qualifications of the nominee.
• A fillable PDF is available here. After completion, the form may be sent directly to the nominator for inclusion with other nomination materials.

Professor Nils Gunnar Jerlov (1910–1990) graduated in 1939 with a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Lund. He was very active in many fields of scientific research including nuclear physics, environmental pollution, and the ocean heat budget. However, he is best known for his many contributions to ocean optics; the study of how light interacts with ocean water. His work ranged from fundamental theory and predictive models to sensor development to field and laboratory observations.

In 1947–48 Dr. Jerlov participated in the Albatross Expedition, a worldwide Swedish oceanographic expedition to study ocean sediments. His observations during this expedition combined with data he collected around the world during many other campaigns, often in collaboration with leading oceanographers of his time, laid the foundations for his optical classification of ocean water; the well-known “Jerlov water types”. He summarized his own work and those of many others in his 1968 book “Optical Oceanography”, which he revised in 1976 and published under the title “Marine Optics”.

In 1963 Dr. Jerlov was appointed professor in physical oceanography at the University of Copenhagen, a position he held until 1978 when he retired. While there, he established one of the leading international centers of excellence in optical oceanography. He was a member of numerous international associations such as the International Association for Physical Oceanography, the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, the Nordic Committee on Physical Oceanography, and the Danish National Board for Oceanography.

Dr. Jerlov was a man of peace and had no understanding of disputes between colleagues regarding the publication of scientific findings. He was a leading figure in science promoting the establishment of national and international oceanographic cooperation.

If you have any questions about the the Jerlov Medal, please contact Jenny Ramarui, TOS Executive Director.