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Dear colleagues & friends in the boundaries community, I write today with sad news. This past weekend, Brian Melchior passed away in his sleep following a battle with stomach cancer. Brian was the U.S. Department of State's maritime geographer since 2010. He was a beloved colleague and dear friend of not only those of us at the Department of State, but also others in the international maritime boundaries community. Since many of you knew Brian, I thought it was important to pass on this news. As some of you know, Brian was instrumental in rejuvenating the Department of State's Limits in the Seas<http://www.state.gov/e/oes/ocns/opa/c16065.htm> series, having co-authored the last 16 Limits in the Seas reports, including Limits in the Seas #143 concerning the South China Sea and others concerning the practice of Archipelagic States. During his time with the U.S. government, Brian was a fixture on the committee that determines the U.S. coastal baselines. In the past few years, he was at the center of finalizing four U.S. maritime boundaries in the Pacific, the first new U.S. boundary treaties of any kind in more than a dozen years. The new boundaries with our Pacific neighbors extend more than 1,700 nautical miles. Brian walked skillfully in the footsteps of renowned geographers at the Department of State, working at an amazing intersection of policy, law, and geography. Working with Brian was a joy, whether it was deliberating over the intricacies of a juridical bay closing line, preparing for a negotiation, watching him apply his craft constructing a boundary line, or traveling the world with him. His grace, courage, and dignity during this difficult period will always be an inspiration. A celebration of his life will be held this coming Saturday in Maryland. Please let me know if you would like further details. Kevin Kevin A. Baumert U.S. Department of State (L/OES) Legal Counsel for U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project Office NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Boulder, CO 80305 USA 1-303-497-5157 (office) 1-202-341-2074 (mobile) This email is UNCLASSIFIED.