Thirteen decades of biological oceanography in Belgium: some highlights (1840s to 1970s)
Charlier, R.H. (2004). Thirteen decades of biological oceanography in Belgium: some highlights (1840s to 1970s), in: Morcos, S. et al. (Ed.) Ocean sciences bridging the millennia: a spectrum of historical accounts. pp. 369-383 In: Morcos, S. et al. (2004). Ocean sciences bridging the millennia: A spectrum of historical accounts. China Ocean Press/UNESCO: Paris. ISBN 7-5027-6119-5. XXI, 507 pp., more |
| Keywords | Algae
Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic mammals > Marine mammals
Fauna > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic animals > Shellfish
Cetacea [WoRMS]
ANE, Belgium [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | algae; Belgica; cetaceans; shellfish; de Gerlache |
| Abstract | Upon its creation, the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium viewed its mission as a research centre and a museum with a focus at that time on biology and related sciences. The discovery of a remarkable trove of dinosaur fossils in 1878 - the best known of which is perhaps Iguanodon bernissarensis - probably strengthened this trend, giving also a vigorous impetus to paleontology, and of course geology in general. Since those early times the Institute broadened its perspective and its endeavours soon encompassed all fields of the natural sciences. Though many may believe that oceanography was a relative late-comer on the scene of the Institute, this is not an accurate vision. An important place has long been given to the denizens of the sea. This paper retraces the first steps of biological oceanography in Belgium through the more recent times and pays tribute to those, in the country, who contributed to the knowledge of life in the oceans, present and past. |
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