One of the first modern day persons to study the ocean's physical characteristics was Matthew Maury. Due to a stagecoach accident in 1839, he spent most of his career on land. Consequently he was able to read and study the charts and logbooks written by other captains of naval ships. In 1855 he wrote a textbook, "The Physical Geography of the Sea", which established oceanography as a bona fide scientific endeavor. And although Matthew Maury is considered by most to be the father of modern day oceanography, it was the British Government which commissioned the first extensive study of the oceans.

This study began in 1872 aboard the H.M.S. Challenger (fascinating reading but 6-7 minute download) under the direction of Wyville Thomson. The expedition sailed from Portsmouth, England, lasted over 3.5 years, and traveled 68,890 nautical miles. The knowledge obtain was enormous. Scientist on board collected,and described, 715 new genera and 4,175 species previously unknown.

After the Challenger expedition, everyone who was anyone wanted to get into the act, and so they did. The German ship GAZELLE sailed around the world between 1874 and 1876. Not to be out done, the Russian steamer VITIAZ did the same, between the years of 1886 and 1889. The United States Ship (USS) Blake under the direction of Alexander Agassiz studied the Caribbean during the years of 1877 to 1880. The Austrian ship POLA plied the waters of the Red and Mediterranean Seas, and the Norwegian ship FRAM (we will study more extensively in ocean technology), sailed or should I say, froze its way towards the North Pole.

And so the twentieth century began with many nations beginning their conquests of the sea. It has probably been more difficult than going to the moon- we shall learn why in the next few weeks.