BAMOS
Jun 2019
Professor Matthias Tomczak
(left) as trainer during the
maiden CAPSTAN voyage in
November 2017.
Passionate about supporting women of Afghanistan, the
Organization of Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities
(OPAWC) stated in a special tribute:
“As the Convener of Support Association for the
Women of Afghanistan in Australia (SAWA-Australia)
(SA), Professor Tomczak directed a sponsorship
campaign in Australia for Afghan women that helped
OPAWC to lay the foundation stone of OPAWC’s
Vocation Training Center in Kabul in 2008. Through
his efforts, this centre expanded over time to become
an educational hub for hundreds of women and girls
offering quality education in literacy and handicraft…
We will remember his extraordinary character
forever.”
In recent years, Professor Tomczak rediscovered his passion
for oceanography. After being diagnosed with cancer and
hospitalised for almost six months, he took on the role as
scientific trainer for the first CAPSTAN voyage aboard the RV
Investigator along the Great Australian Bight in 2017. This
voyage was truly special, not only because of having Matthias
around, but also because the sea was a mirror most of the time.
While receiving chemotherapy since January 2018, Matt
continued to be scientifically active. Remarkedly, just a few
months ago, he published a scientific paper on water mass
intrusions in the south Indian Ocean in the journal Ocean
Dynamics. In this single-authored paper Matthias explored the
vertical structure of high-resolution temperature and salinity
data from ARGO floats. His message to fellow natural scientists
comes out very clear: focus on real data not models, there is
plenty of real data available!
Images provided by Jochen Kämpf.
Together with his son, Sebastian Tomczak, Matthias presented
the sonification of climate data during the closing ceremony of
AMOS-ICSHMO 2018 held at the University of New South Wales
Sydney from 5 to 9 February 2018.
He also co‐authored a yet‐to‐be‐published scientific paper
on the oceanography of the western Great Australian Bight
associated with the seasonal accumulation of killer whales near
the Bremer Canyon. Even in his last days, he suggested future
marine expeditions to further investigate this natural wonder.
Matthias Tomczak has made a deep and long-lasting impact on
many people around him. He surely belongs in the Hall of Fame
of Australian (and German) natural scientists. Matt will be sorely
missed by many. The ocean—filled with endless tears.
9