Knowledge of the deep sea in the nineteenth century as a result of circulation: the 'Hyalonema' controversy

Description

This paper presents a case on the importance of circulation to build a picture of the deep sea in the nineteenth century. Early oceanography was markedly influenced by personalities such as Charles Wyvile Thomson, John Gwyn Jeffreys, and William Carpenter, whose expeditions yielded the first comprehensive results on deep-sea characteristics. However, the inputs of other naturalists and the circulation of specimens and people have been central to the construction of knowledge about the oceans. I present the case of Barbosa du Bocage, a Portuguese zoologist who stimulated discussion on the existence of life at high depths by discovering Hyalonema off the Portuguese coast, a deep-sea animal of dubious nature that had only been collected and previously found in Asian waters. The ensuing controversy attracted the attention of naturalists from different countries, including the Swedish naturalist Sven Lóven, who made relevant contributions. The interest spurred by this discovery led Bocage to supply specimens to foreign naturalists and brought some experts to Portugal, such as Perceval Wright, to collect samples. The collaboration with Wright catalysed the remarkable discovery that even complex vertebrates could withstand deep-ocean pressures. These events inscribed Portugal, and Lisbon’s museum of natural history, on the route of later expeditions. Knowledge on the deep sea in the nineteenth century has therefore involved the contributions of various specialists, and it can only be accurately depicted by following the circulation of specialists, practices, instruments, specimens, and ideas across land and sea.

Period	14 Apr 2021
Event title	British Society for the History of Science Postgraduate Conference 2021
Event type	Conference
Location	Leeds, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International