Upon completion of his graduate studies at Texas A&M University, Dr. Royer accepted a position as an assistant professor at the University of Alaska. While there, he began work measuring long waves (tsunamis) in the North Pacific and making hydrographic measurements in Alaskan fjords. For 27 years, he carried out measurements of hydrography in the NE Pacific from Alaska to Hawaii during all seasons of the year. This work led to the discovery of a significant coastal current along the coast of Alaska that is driven by freshwater discharge. Knowledge of this current allowed a reasonable prediction of the trajectory of the oil released during the 1989 EXXON VALDEZ oil spill.

While at the University of Alaska, Dr. Royer was promoted to Associate and then Full Professor. He served as the Chancellor's Faculty Associate for Research in 1992-93 were he administered the research activities of that campus. He was awarded the Edith Bullock for excellence in service to the University of Alaska. He has been active in the University National Laboratory System (UNOLS), having served on the Fleet Improvement Committee, the Advisory Council, and as Vice Chairman. He was the chairman of a national committee that designed a new Arctic Research Vessel. He has served on the MMS Scientific Advisory Committee and the Ocean Studies Board. He is active in the international North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) and serves as a U.S. representative to the Technical Committee on Data Exchange of PICES. He is on the steering committee of the Coastal Ocean Program (CoOP).

Dr. Royer joined CCPO in October 1996 and immediately began participating in programs making hydrographic and current observations in Chesapeake Bay.

Research Interests

Dr. Royer has continued interest in coastal and deep ocean processes in the North Pacific. He has been active in long term sampling to understand better those processes which cause changes in the ocean. He continues to carry out oceanographic sampling in the North Pacific in addition to local studies in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay. He is working on freshwater discharge budgets into the ocean and global sea level analyses. He is interested in using these parameters as a measure of theocean climate changes and how they might affect fisheries. His work will continue on interdisciplinary approaches to addressing ecosystem problems. Dr. Royer is also interested in the application of new techniques that will allow cost effective measurements of ocean circulation and structure.