On this day in history...

...in 1963, the first volume of Progress in Oceanography was published, under the editorship of Mary Sears at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Although the exact date of publication is unknown, this symbolic date marks the beginning of what would become one of the leading journals in ocean science.

Established as an annual volume, Progress in Oceanography aimed to keep scientists informed of recent advances and emerging directions in a rapidly evolving field. In contrast to other “progress” series that merely compiled reviews, this new journal adopted a hybrid approach: it included in-depth reviews of unresolved problems (e.g., salinity, suspended organic matter), original research with wide appeal (e.g., Gulf Stream ‘60, atmospheric electrification), and preliminary work describing new methods and conceptual approaches.

Mary Sears envisioned a space where oceanographers could publish longer, more ambitious contributions than those typically accepted by regular periodicals. While some papers were invited, the editor emphasized that only authors themselves could judge the right moment to synthesize their work—a philosophy that made the journal both selective and responsive to the community's evolving needs.

Today, Progress in Oceanography is recognized as a premier journal in the field, publishing influential papers across all disciplines of ocean science. Its founding reflected a turning point in the institutionalization of oceanography: a moment when the discipline moved beyond exploration and wartime service into a mature, research-driven enterprise.

Source

• Sears, M. (1963). Preface, Progress in Oceanography, Volume 1. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0079661163900028
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/progress-in-oceanography