Graham Williams, among many other activities, has been a long-time CAP member. This interview was originally published in Stuifmail, the Newsletter of the Palaeobotanical and Palynological Society of Utrecht, on the occasion of the recognition of Graham by the Society with a Honorary Membership. Special thanks to Lenny Kouwenberg and fellow editors for permission to reprint their article and photographs in the CAP Newsletter, and include it in the CAP web presentation.

An interview with our latest honorary member:
Graham Williams

1. When and why did you start working with dinoflagellates?

Graham Williams

This is an embarrassing question since it shows how old I really am. It was before any papers had been published on archeopyles. I was in the Army for two years, from 1958 to 1960. While in Singapore, I decided I needed to go back to university and be useful. So I wrote to about 20 universities in the U.K., asking if there was any possibility of doing a thesis in micropaleontology. A Dr Downie of Sheffield replied that no, he did not supervise theses on foraminifera but that I was welcome to write a proposal regarding dinoflagellates and hystrichospheres. I had no idea what either was so went down to the main library in Singapore and read up all I could find on dinoflagellates in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. But there was nothing on hystrichospheres. I figured out they were spiny spheres but that's not a lot of help. So I wrote a proposal and every time I mentioned dinoflagellates, I wrote in hystrichospheres. Much to my surprise, I was accepted. I arrived back from Singapore on 15th September and started at Sheffield on 1st October 1960. Charles Downie told me that my research study would be the dinoflagellates and hystrichospheres of the Bajocian-Bathonian. I said I didn't want to do that; I wanted to work on the Tertiary. Luckily, Charles had a friend who had picked some forams from the London Clay. In the samples were some beautiful pyritized hystrichospheres. I later found out that they were specimens of Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum. So we agreed that I would study the dinoflagellates and hystrichospheres of the London Clay. What a lucky choice that turned out to be.

2. Could you tell something about the research you're doing (for those non-dino people, who don't know you)?
I am one of about twenty people in the Marine Resources Geoscience Subdivision (only the government could invent such a name), which studies the geological evolution of the sedimentary basins of offshore eastern Canada. The group was formed in 1971. I'm the only one of the original (you didn't know that I was an original) staff still working full time. Originally, it was decided to use foraminifera, ostracods and palynomorphs for bistratigraphic control in the offshore wells, but the palynomorphs won out. Now, we have two palynologists, Rob and me. We analyse mainly cuttings samples from the wells, most of which are in the Scotian Basin or the Jeanne d'Arc Basin. Offshore eastern Canada is becoming an important contributor to the oil and natural gas production of Canada. The Hibernia field in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin produces about 150,000 barrels each day. The reserves are placed at 884 million barrels. That sounds a lot until you remember that the World's consumption is about 75 million barrels a day. Another development in the Scotian Basin, the Sable Offshore Energy Project, is producing about 400 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. This morning there was an announcement that a similar sized field is going to be developed close by Sable. It's an exciting time to be doing palynology, especially as the regional geologists and geophysicists are always looking for more biostratigraphic and paleoecologic data.

3. What did you want to be as a grown-up when you were a kid (and why didn't you learn any proper trade in the end)?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a train driver. Then my sister decided that she was going to be a doctor. I thought that sounded interesting but found out that I didn't enjoy dissecting frogs or dogfish. I also was lousy when trying to do anything that required a steady hand. So I looked around for something solid. What's more solid than rocks. That decided me, although I knew nothing about geology until I went to university. And I still don't know much.

4. What's your favourite dinoflagellate cyst (and why)?
I have several but top of the hit parade is Charlesdowniea crassiramosa. I've always had a soft spot for the Wetzeliella (everything was group, but I really fell for the huge specimens of then Wetzeliella tenuivirgula var. crassoramosa. It took me about a day to traverse the first specimen I found: it was so big. Eventually I produced, for me, a major work of art, a camera lucida drawing of both surfaces. That was a labour of love. My second favourite is Areosphaeridium diktyoplokum. The specimens are so spectacular and it photographs so spectacularly. Somewhere, I have one of Lew Stover's transparencies (Henk Brinkhuis always calls these slides) that shows the duplication of the plate outline by the distal extremity of the process on the antapical plate. The third star in my list is Homotryblium tenuispinosum. I couldn't figure this one out at all. Then Bill Evitt's classic 1961 paper appeared and I realised what hystrichospheres were all about. It was like being hit by a thunderbolt when I first read that paper in the library at Sheffield University. I started writing to Bill and was really impressed with how he always answered both my numerous questions and my letters. Bill deserves all the credit for figuring out Homotryblium but he let me take all the credit. Thanks to him, I did some research and didn't simply count spines on round spheres.

5. When and how did you get in touch with the PPGU/ the people from Utrecht?

L-R: Dr Henk Brinkhuis, Dr Rike Wagner (Chair, PPGU), Dr Graham Williams, Dr Henk Visscher, and Erica Crouch (former PPGU Treasurer)

I first met Henk Brinkhuis at an ICP meeting in Calgary in 1981 but he didn't register. We first really got to know each other at Dino 4 in Woods Hole in 1989. Woods Hole is tiny, but it has one bar that is open all year round. Lew Stover dropped in the first night and there was this weird character telling jokes. And surprisingly, they were good jokes. That started Lew and me off and we enjoyed ourselves so much that we went back the following night. And the following night, until the end of the week. After that, Lew, Henk and I became good friends. Henk, always willing to take risks, decided that Lou, Henk and I should give a course at Utrecht on Tertiary dinoflagellates. We agreed we should also invite Sarah Damassa and decided the course would be in 1993, in conjunction with Dino 5. Sadly, Lou died in early 1993 and I told Henk that I didn't want to give the course. We agreed to present it the following year and so I paid my first visit to Utrecht in June 1994. I couldn't believe it, it rained every day and was cold (even by Canadian standards). However, I survived. Since 1994, I have been back to Utrecht so many times and made to feel so welcome that I regard it as my second home. I have even survived the dreaded one-day drive to Italy and enjoyed it. Hopefully, I shall make many more visits to the LPP group.

6. What do you like best about visiting the Netherlands? And Almelo (if there's anything)?
The natives, and the visiting students, are the best part of the Netherlands. Much to my surprise, you all have a great sense of humour and never take yourselves too seriously. I remember when I was a student at Sheffield University. I always called Charles Downie Sir or Dr Downie. He was staff and I was a student. And students and staff did not socialise except at the annual dinner of the geological society and on field trips. At LPP, the atmosphere is friendly but dynamic. The relationship between the students and staff is something that I wish I had had when at university. Another aspect that I really enjoy is working and talking with the students. They all seem so smart and hard working but they also know how to have a good time. There's a lot of truth in the old saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy or Jill a dull girl. I think the mix at LPP is perfect. I finding it stimulating to learn what everyone is doing and some of the exciting research projects. I live primarily in a world of cuttings where biostratigraphy is the name of the game. It's a new experience to hear about paleoecological studies where the quantitative data is so much more important. One of the best projects I been involved in, thanks to Henk, is the Leg 189 palynology study. I'm impressed with how Henk can utilise the data to predict changes in paleocirculation and nutrient levels. And, just as significant, is that we should be able to develop the first comprehensive dinocyst zonation for the southern hemisphere Cenozoic. Almelo has a lot going for it, although it needs a soccer team that plays in the Premier League. For me, the most memorable aspect is the tremendous hospitality of Annemie and Henk. And the theatre shows are spectacular.

7. How did you feel when you were declared an honourary member of the PPGU?
I was stunned and completely taken aback. Did you notice that I didn't say much. That is my quirky way of hiding my emotions. It was an honour that I did not expect. On Friday morning when we arrived in Utrecht, Henk said that the day would be full of surprises. I couldn't figure out what he meant. Later, I asked if I could pay my LPP membership dues and Henk said that I was paid up. I suggested that I pay up for next year and was told that that was also paid. I was really surprised. Then we started having all the trouble with the projectors during the mini-symposium and I thought, this is it. But the biggest surprise was at the end when Erica gave that incredible speech. If she ever needs a job, I'll give her one as my speechwriter.

8. How many lumberjack shirts do you possess (and does this have anything to do with question 3)?
I have a confession. If an article of clothing is in fashion, I don't want to wear it. That's why I've never had a pair of blue jeans. Although lumberjack shirts are not as popular here as in western Canada, they are too popular for me.

Just a closing remark. Val and I would like to thank all the PPGU gang for their support last year. It really made a big difference.

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Note: This article appeared in CAP Newsletter 24(1):7-9, 2001.