Article Abstract
Professor Klaus Wyrtki of the University of Hawaii was recently awarded the American Geophysical Union’s prestigious Maurice Ewing medal for his many contributions to oceanography. He was also honored by his students and colleagues with a day-long special symposium that focused on the major themes of his forty years of research in physical oceanography. In this article, four of his Ph.D. students summarize his distinguished career and important contributions to our understanding of the oceanic circulation and its interaction with the overlying atmosphere.