by Dhikra A. Dean

Created on: September 15, 2009

Marine science saw its inception less than two centuries ago, and it is still nowadays in continuous development. Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth and are still for the most part unexplored. The first contribution to marine science can be ascribed to the naturalist Charles Darwin; during his 5- year journey on board the brig H.R.S. Beagle, he collected several specimens of animals, plants, and fossils, taking extensive notes and sending everything back to Europe. These samples mainly from Oceania and Southern America aroused the interest of European scientists, who had never seen these species before.

However, the expedition that marked the birth of oceanography took place about 40 years later. Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, a natural history professor, and his student John Murray set sail aboard the H.R.S. Challenger with the specific purpose of studying the oceans. They requested one hundred scientists to take part in the journey and help them collect, analyze, and pack up samples. Their vessel was well equipped with anemometers, thermometers, hydrometers, current drags, sextants, and dredges to capture larger animals. Also, chemist Buchanan invented the water samplers that were named after him. Besides collecting new genera and species, in this expedition they located the Mariana Trench - which is the lowest point on Earth, they plotted currents and temperatures, and they discovered the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Alexander Agassiz, following his father Louis' earlier work, gave a determinant contribution to marine science. His very extensive explorations - mainly on two ships, the Blake and the Albatross, equipped with steel rope for dredging - led to the discovery of many new species and the analysis of the Gulf Stream, along with observations on water temperature.

In the beginning of the 20th century, the sinking of Titanic - after the collision with an iceberg, urged scientists to research a method to detect objects in the sea through acoustic means. Reginald Fessenden comes up with an Oscillator that is named after him. The Fessenden Oscillator reflects a signal off an iceberg and at the same time reflects an acoustic signal off the sea bottom, allowing ships to detect the real dimension of an iceberg.

World War I brings about the need for even more sophisticated objects detection in the oceans, in order to discover enemy submarines. However, it will take the Coast and Geodetic Survey a few more years after the end of the war to conduct the first radio

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