Dr. Lou Burnett (1951–2026) was a distinguished marine scientist, educator, and academic leader whose lifelong dedication to conservation included being the first Executive Director of the National Association of Marine Laboratories (2019-2026). After earning his BS from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Burnett spent 13 years on the faculty at the University of San Diego during the 1980s before moving to the College of Charleston in 1991. Over a transformative 26-year tenure, he served as the Biology Department Chair for five years and spent 20 years directing the Grice Marine Laboratory, shaping it into a premier hub for marine biology. Believing that marine stations were strongest through collaboration, he became a pillar of regional and national network leadership, serving on the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories Board of Directors (2004–2006) and as SAML President (2014–2015) before taking the helm of NAML, leaving behind an enduring legacy of mentorship, institutional stewardship, and unified advocacy for ocean literacy and science.
