[Submitted by Helen Rozwadowski]

A meeting of the Commission on the History of Oceanography (ICHO) was held at the IUHPST Congress in Rio de Janeiro on July 24, 2017.

In attendance were: Helen Rozwadowski (President) and Cornielia Lüdecke (Vice-President) as well as the following members: Alexandru Bologa (Romania; Bruno Costelini (Brazil); Pen Hardy (USA); Maria Margaret Lopes (Brazil); Naomi Oreskes (USA); Sam Robinson (UK); Alistair Sponsel (USA); Alex Conçalves Varela (Brazil).

The President gave a report updating members about changes and events since April 2016, when former President Walter Lenz stepped down. The following items were reported:
 Helen Rozwadowski was elected President. Rest of officers (all Vice Presidents) remained.
 On April 19, 2016, officers held a synchronous meeting via Skype/Google Hangouts.
 Effort to hold an Australian Congress initiated by President Lenz failed; no abstracts were received.
 Decision made by officers to focus on rebuilding Commission by organizing sessions at other conferences rather than stand-alone congresses, at least for the present.
 Appointment of co-editors of blog/website: Antony Adler (USA) and Elizabeth Nielsen (USA)
 ICHO symposium at Rio conference was a success; and ICHO is now back in touch with our parent organization, DHST.
 Upcoming symposium in Bergen, Norway, 12–14 June 2019: “Challenging the scientific legacy of Johan Hjort: Is it time for a new paradigm shift in marine research?” The symposium is an initiative of the Commission on the History of Oceanography, in close cooperation with the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, The Institute of Marine Research, and the University of Bergen, all three Bergen, Norway. There will be a day-long ICHO symposium within the larger scientific conference. With this report, conference planning documents will be circulated.
 Volunteers are standing by to work on finding ways to make bibliographies and other resources available to our community.
 In May 2017, Franziska Torma became the new Treasurer of ICHO, replacing Jacob Darwin Hamblin.

Most of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the Commission’s mission, community, audience, goals, etc. Topics discussed included:

 Putting bibliographies on the ICHO website (continued from discussions begun at the officers meeting in April 2016 and continuing since that time); in addition, perhaps find a way to get information about archives out.
 Encourage members and other scholars to contribute guest blog posts on research; cross post such posts if they appear on library or archive sites.
 News that the Challenger Society has set up a history of oceanography section, raising the possibility of a partnership.
 Margaret Lopes will organize a volume on museums and oceans (end of 2018), focusing on museology and interdisciplinarity.
 Consider creating an email listserve again.
 For future Division or International Union congresses, consider including in abstract that sessions are organized by ICHO, since this isn’t clear from program.
 Consider flyers or other methods of advertising that commission is interested in oceans broadly construed. Might we want to broaden name of Commission: ocean sciences/marine sciences
 Perhaps co-sponsor a plenary or, if there is plenary related to oceans, pursue co- sponsorship.
 Consider an evening gathering of ICHO (like the public historians gathering at this meeting); this could be at the next international congress but might also perhaps take place at other meetings such as the Nov. 2017 meeting of HSS.
 Branding: consider twitter feed/website with “ICHO” in name.
 Conferences at which we might consider placing/sponsoring a session include ESEH in London in Sept. 2018.
 Consider creating a category of membership for active members who agree to take on responsibility for organizing activity in their country, region, etc.
 The new Ron Rainger Prize, to be given annually by the Earth and Environment Forum of the History of Science Society, was announced. Make a blog post with info on donating and on submitting.