In 1986, when Dr. Wheeler North invited me to move from France to the Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory of Corona Del Mar, he made me a Californian. And, from this invitation was borne the Marine Forests Society with the purpose to "Plant the Sea".

In our early beginnings we operated alone on an unfunded volunteer basis, which was pretty much unconventional. But, Wheeler was genuinely unconventional up and including his approach to science. And, the brilliant Professor of Environmental Science was gifted with the most simple qualities of gentleness and honesty. It gained him an unparalleled respect from his students and from the scientific community in the USA and abroad.

May Dr. North’s work and personality be remembered as an example to follow.

Rodolphe Streichenberger
Marine Forests Society