How did a boy from the South Dakota prairies end up as a tropical oceanographer?

When he was young, Gregg roamed the hills on horseback, hunting for fossils and rattlesnake dens, dreaming of adventure in faraway lands. Fuelled by a boundless thirst for knowledge (and exotic food), always open to the call of serendipity, Gregg abandoned a budding career in music to go in pursuit of .... MUD.

Why mud? Layers of sediment in lakes and oceans reveal the sequence of everything that has settled through the water, from pesticides to bomb fallout.

This history helps us to understand man-made impacts on the natural world. Unravelling these stories took Gregg to the ends of the earth: drilling through lake ice in the high Arctic, dangling precariously over the ship's rail in the Coral Sea, or wading up to his hips in Fly River mud. It was exciting, often dangerous work. He loved it.

Devoted family man, accomplished musician, respected scientist: Gregg found his adventures. This is his story.

Bonus Content

Starting as a graduate student at Cornell University, Gregg kept a journal throughout his working life. He also had ridiculously extensive files on wide-ranging topics. Many of these are referenced in the text but wouldn't fit into a single volume.

Gregg also commented on current events to frame the chapters in the context of world history. If you are interested, head to the bonus content folder, where we will continue to add reading lists, song lyrics, additional photos, personal anecdotes and other bits and pieces.

Please feel free to view or download this bonus content here.