Dr. Ahlstrom 

 Reuben Lasker 



MY colleagues have entrusted to me the pleasant task and distinct privilege of saying a few words in remembrance 

 of Dr. Elbert H. Ahlstrom, to whom this symposium is dedicated. Like most of you I was his colleague for many 

 years, 23 to be exact. He was also my friend and mentor to whom I could go when I needed advice and where I knew 

 I would be heard as an individual with the bond of common scientific endeavors. 



For those of you who did not know Dr. Ahlstrom 1 would like to capsulize his enormous contribution to systematics 

 and fishery science by outlining what I believe to be his major scientific contributions. Ahlie realized in the late 40's 

 that the study of eggs and larvae could give us information about fish populations unobtainable from fishery statistics, 

 the mainstay of fishery science at that time. He believed, rightly, that the ease with which eggs and larvae could be caught 

 allowed an assessment of the geographic distribution and the seasonal extent of spawning of pelagic species. He recognized 

 that any assessment of a fish population was dependent on surrounding that population in time and space and that this 

 would require a major effort. He was the first. I believe, to determine the extent of a major pelagic fish population using 

 this technique. 



The simplicity and thoroughness of the plankton net made an impression on him and, while he sought to improve 

 collecting techniques constantly, he consistently analyzed the errors of the plankton net so that this tool could be used 

 more and more reliably. Today, it is still one of the most powerful collecting and assessment tools we have, largely 

 because of his diligence and persistence. 



The scope and thoroughness of Dr. Ahlstrom's work was particularly important. His taxonomic skills are attested to 

 in the many papers he wrote and which stand today as mainstays of the systematic and fishery literature. He liked to use 

 the title "Kinds and abundance of fishes" and usually provided taxonomic lists in these of several pages in length. His 

 point, of course, was to detail the complexity and uniqueness of particular oceanic regimes and to set the ground work 

 for ecological research which inevitably followed. 



Well, what of his other attributes? I used to call him the modem Renaissance Man because I realized whenever I had 

 occasion to meet him socially that he knew almost all there was to know about the arts and the sciences. Of his fabulous 

 classical record collection 1 recall that 1 asked him once if he really listened to all of them. His reply was "we used to 

 hear each one once a year, but now, since the collection has grown so large, it's once every two years." He belonged to 

 the San Diego Great Books Society, and read them all. Engage him in conversation and you would find out quickly he 

 knew literature, fine wines, photography and baseball, to name a few. I would like to sum up this brief eulogy by pointing 

 out an example of one aspect of Ahlie which holds my greatest admiration: that is, his dedication to work. One incident 

 during our relationship illustrates the point I wish to make. 



When Science Fairs started to become the vogue in San Diego, Dr. Ahlstrom was asked to host a group of young 

 Science Fair participants to teach them something about oceanography. He arranged to take out the old Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries ship, the Black Douglas, for a day to illustrate collecting methods at sea. In fact, the day was 

 beautiful, but there was a swell upon the sea and no sooner did we get out of the harbor than almost everyone, except 

 Ahlie and some of the seasoned veterans, felt the effects of a rather pronounced roll for which the Black Douglas was 

 famous, even in the calmest of seas. Dr. Ahlstrom proceeded with his typical dedication to illustrate Nansen bottles, 

 plankton nets, and bathythermographs to the group of Science Fair students who were becoming less and less interested 

 and more and more seasick. 



Ahlie continued with a single-mindedness of purpose and a dedication that was so characteristic of him. Without his 

 noticing, a caucus was held by these young students and a representative meekly asked, "Dr. Ahlstrom, may we please 

 go home?" 



Two versions of what happened next were told to me later. The first was that Ahlie responded immediately to the 

 problem and ordered the ship to port. Another version was that Ahlie continued until he was finished, made sure he 

 had a proper sample, and then ordered the ship into port. I'm afraid I can't tell you which is correct— I was in a bunk, 

 seasick! I meant this story as a small illustration of Dr. Ahlstrom's dedication to his work. 



He was a dedicated scientist who had an insatiable curiosity about the biotic world and who was convinced that what 

 he was doing was important and would advance fishery science. This symposium is one piece of evidence that he was 

 right. 



Now the question must be asked— how is it that Ahlie could be so dedicated to work and yet have found time to 

 become a true example of a Renaissance man, with a deep knowledge of art, wine, architecture, photography, sports, 

 and much more? I pondered this with admiration for many years and I think I have the answer. He was one of those 

 rare individuals who never cease learning, because he had a true scholar's love for learning. I like Robert Whittenton's 

 description of Sir Thomas More when I think of Ahlie: he was, like More, "a man for all seasons." 



Southwest Fisheries Center, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, California 92038. 



Photograph of Elbert Halvor Ahlstrom, by J. R. Dunn. 



