Of Seas and Ships and Scientists

by Laughton, A. S.; Gould, W. J.; Tucker, M. J.; Roe, H. S. J.

• ISBN13: 9780718892302
• ISBN10: 0718892305
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-27
• Publisher: Lutterworth Pr

Summary

Of Seas and Ships and Scientists is an exciting account of a formative phase of UK science - the foundation and early years of the National Institute of Oceanography. The roots of the NIO may be found in the pre-war research by scientists, on Scott's Discovery, on the biology of the vast Southern Ocean, funded by a tax on whale oil.

Author Biography

Sir Anthony Laughton joined the NIO in 1955, following a PhD in marine geophysics at Cambridge and was Director of IOS (the successor of NIO) between 1978-88. He has obtained numerous awards and was awarded a knighthood for services to oceanography in 1987. Dr John Gould joined NIO in 1967 and was head of Marine Physics and later directed two global climate projects. Amongst his recent publications is Ocean Circulation and Climate (2001). Mr M.J. 'Tom' Tucker joined the Group W at the Admiralty Research Laboratory in 1944. He later moved to NIO. Amongst his recent publications is Waves in Ocean Engineering (2001), authored with E.G. Pitt. Prof. Howard Roe joined the Whale Research Unit at NIO in 1965, following a degree in Zoology at University College London. He was the Director of the Southampton Oceanography Centre from 1999 to his retirement in 2005.

Table of Contents

Preface and acknowledgements	p. 9
Introduction	p. 11
The Historical Context	p. 13
Marine science in the UK before World War II	p. 15
Steps toward the founding of NIO	p. 24
The founding director, Sir George Deacon	p. 33
Group W at the Admiralty Research Laboratory Personal reminiscences by some of its members Compiled	p. 41
Life in the Oceans	p. 67
Ocean ecology	p. 69
Whales and whaling	p. 92
The Discovery of a Turbulent Ocean	p. 109
Ocean currents-entering the modern age	p. 111
Exploring ocean variability	p. 128
Internal waves and all that	p. 140
Seawater-its physical and chemical properties	p. 148
The Visible Surface of the Ocean	p. 157
Wave research at Wormley	p. 159
Waves, surges and tides	p. 171
Applied wave research	p. 182
The Earth Beneath the Sea	p. 191
Side-scan sonar-a tool for seafloor geology	p. 193
The rocks below the deep ocean	p. 208
Support for the Scientific Vision	p. 231
Engineering and applied physics	p. 233
Research ships	p. 267
The library-a key research tool	p. 281
The 'backroom boys'	p. 286
Beyond 1973	p. 293
The legacy	p. 295
Cruises of RRS Discovery II	p. 306
Cruises of RRS Discovery	p. 310
Acronyms and abbreviations	p. 313
Author biographies	p. 317
References	p. 324
Index	p. 338
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