Mr. Strong worked for a nonprofit corporation for 38 years, spending the last 15 years supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, D.C., addressing a broad range of environmental and ocean issues. He has been the Vice Chairman of the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM), setting standards for navigation, communication, and maritime safety for U.S. territorial waters. Mr. Strong led efforts with NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) to develop the U.S. nationwide Doppler weather radar network (NEXRAD) and has been instrumental in supporting the development of the International Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), working closely with NOAA’s and NASA’s satellite observation programs and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Prior to his work with NOAA and NASA, Mr. Strong directed the company’s work with federal health care initiatives, the U.S. State Department and the intelligence community. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Buffalo and the American University, and member of the Board of Trustees at Keuka College. He is the President of HMS Consulting, LLC, has been a visiting scientist and special interest speaker on 42 voyages with 11 different cruise lines and 30 different ships, speaking about “Our One Ocean”, is a PSIA Certified snow ski instructor, and spends summers at the Glenn Curtiss Museum, restoring and reconstructing flying antique seaplanes.

This series of talks focuses on “Our One Ocean”. It is crafted to entertain, inform and educate the ship’s guests on various ocean topics, emphasizing that our “global society” has but “One Ocean” and we all share in its fruits, its opportunities, its problems, its heritage and its potential. The ocean, on which our guests are sailing, is essential to life on our planet as we know it. The talks use power point presentations full of special images and short videos; audience participation; personal accounts of work in and around the ocean and many opportunities for guest interaction.

1. “Our One Ocean-The Planet’s Watery World”
The initial presentation sets the stage for this series of talks, focusing on the importance of our “One Ocean” to our “global society”, relating our voyage to our "One Ocean", and the need to get to know more about our “One Ocean” so we can better enjoy it and protect it. The presentation includes a challenging and fun set of diagnostic questions for the attendees, based on a national survey of ocean awareness and includes an informative video on our “One Ocean”.

2. “Ocean Observation-Taking the “Pulse” of our One Ocean” ( a 2 part lecture)
This talk is centered on the need to first observe and measure our “One Ocean” using broad-based science and technology tools before mitigation and adaptation strategies are adopted. It also provides an opportunity for guests to engage in discussions of their experiences with ocean observation where they live or have visited.

3. “Sea Turtles-Ancient Ocean Dwellers”
The amazing and wonderful sea turtle has been a part of our ocean community for millions of years. These friendly creatures are under assault and this presentation addresses their history, the variety likely to be encountered in the course of our voyage and the serious efforts being made to protect them and still allow us to enjoy their historic existence in our “One Ocean” .

4. “Coral Reefs-Our Ocean’s Garden Playground and Rain Forest of the Seas”
One of the most beautiful components of our “One Ocean” are the coral reefs that today are so endangered. This presentation takes us on a journey from the definition of a coral reef, through the formation, growth, and structure of the reef including a look at the varieties of coral likely to be found in the area of our voyage . The value of the reef is explained as are the threats to the health and safety of coral reefs. I concludes with a stunning video the shows the beauty and diversity of ocean life , found on coral reefs.

5. “Ocean Transportation-The Birth of the Seaplane”
There are a number of ways to travel the oceans’ surface but none quite as exciting as the advent of the seaplane-the heavier than air vehicle using the ocean as a runway to winged flight. This presentation recounts the story of how Glenn Curtiss, from his humble background as a manufacturer of motorcycles in Hammondsport, N.Y at the turn of the 20th century, discovered the secret of getting an aircraft to leave the surface of the ocean and take flight. It includes flight videos of the reconstructed 1908 A-1 Triad, E-boat and the 1914 America flying boat (the first built to cross the Atlantic ) rebuilt and flown on Keuka Lake at the Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, N.Y. Included is the story of how the "America" helped the British conducting surveillance and anti-submarine warfare during WW I

6. “Tsunamis-The Ocean’s Fury on Shore”
Tsunamis have been a part of our planet’s dynamics for millions of years, but the tsunami in Sendai Japan demonstrated how disastrous the results of our shifting earth can be. While one of the safest places to be when a tsunami occurs is on a cruise ship in the open ocean, this presentation looks at the history, physics and dynamics of tsunamis focusing on some of the most costly occurrences in terms of life and property including ones that may have occurred in the areas we are visiting on our voyage.

7. “Wind, Waves and Weather-The Basics”
Our ocean is profoundly affected by its interaction with the atmosphere. This talk provides the basics of how our atmosphere affects our “One Ocean and explains many of the terms we all hear when weather forecasts are given. It includes some interesting questions for the audience to answer, pokes fun at some of the weather-related movies released over the past years, and tries to get to the real meteorological truth about wind, waves and weather affecting the areas being visited.

8. Ocean Dynamics-Our “One Ocean” in Motion” Who, standing at the shore line, hasn’t wondered at the eternal rhythm of the waves and, at the same time, wondered how a wave can be so big that thousands of people can be put at enormous risk. We know that nations are warmed by the oceans currents and cooled by others, but why? Our “One Ocean” is always in motion and this presentation examines the causes- waves, currents, tides, wind events and earth movement events-and address how they affect not only the areas being visited but our whole planet.

I have been lecturing on cruise ships since 2005 when I was retained five times as a visiting scientist on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas in a joint program with the University of Miami and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since that time, I have made 42 voyages, on 30 different ships, on 11 different cruise lines, speaking about "Our One Ocean".

Queen Elizabeth Q928 - 8 Oct 2019
Balmoral L1902 - Jan 31 2019
Queen Mary M815 - April 15, 2018
Queen Elizabeth Q805 - Feb.10 2018
P&O Arcadia J8101-1

Travel Insurance held as a Cruise Ship Speaker, Brazilian and Indian visas held along with many others necessary for US citizens to enter foreign ports.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.