Chapter 2:

A History of Marine Science

Guidelines for

Class Discussions and LecturesGoal: Everyone participates!

Approach (for extroverts):

- Please allow two other

students to speak after you

have already made a

comment or asked a

question.

- If you still have

questions/comments, feel

free to write them down

and email them to me.

Approach (for introverts):

- Please try to ask one

question, or make one

comment, in each class.

- You may find it helpful to

think of a question or

comment before class and

bring it with you.

Outline for Today

- Introduction

- Video: Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūleʻa

- Discussions in Small Groups

- Reports Back

In-Class Activity

• Form 8 groups of 3-4 people.

Please try to form a group that includes at least one person you don’t know yet.

• Each group will discuss one notable person or event related to the exploration

of the ocean.

Refer to your book, the internet (yes, you may use your phones!), or

the slides I’ve emailed you for background information.

• Within your group, please discuss:

1) Who is/was this person or event?

2) Why do you think this is important to the discovery of the ocean?

• Be prepared to present a two-minute summary to your classmates at the

end of class.

• If you’re done early, please write your response to the question below.

OR email me your response by the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday).

• You must respond to this question for course credit:

• How was this person or event different from, OR similar to, the

Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūleʻa?

(Hint: “They both used boats” is not enough.

BUT one or two sentences is fine.)

History of Human Exploration

American Indians arrived over Bering Land Bridge

(now underwater)

First ocean voyages by Phoenicians (~1200 BC) – primarily economic

Greeks ventured into Atlantic (900-700 BC)

Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūleʻa

Video: https://vimeo.com/51118047

More Info: http://www.hokulea.com/worldwide-voyage/

People, Events, Concepts:

The Exploration of the Ocean

- Captain James Cook

- Eratosthenes, Latitude

& Longitude

- Bob Ballard*

- Admiral Zheng He

- Polynesian Voyaging

Society*

- Sylvia Earle*

- HMS Challenger

- Matthew Maury

* Not in your textbook (yet) or in the background slides

Background Slides

for Group Discussions

(roughly organized chronologically)

Eratosthenes (276–194 BC) -

first to accurately determine

Earth’s circumference

Meridians and parallels drawn through important places

Latitude and Longitude on Earth

A simpler idea was to

space meridians and

parallels 1 degree apart.

60 minutes = 1 degree

60 seconds = 1 minute

Latitude and Longitude on Earth

International Date Line

December 8, 1941 December 7, 1941

Celestial Navigation

• How to determine your:

– Latitude

Measure angle (sextant) to North Star

– Longitude

Need a clock

Cartography – making maps for future

navigation

Mercator Projection – means to show 3-D Earth on

2-D map. Greatly exaggerates higher latitudes.

Polynesians were

some of the best

ocean travelers.

Every oceanographic nuance

was utilized:

1) Waves

2) Bird’s flight

3) Ocean smell or temperature

4) Marine life

5) Sunrise/sunset colors

Kon Tiki (1947) showed Polynesians could have

sailed to Pacific Islands with minimal technology.

The Discovery of Hawai‘i: about 1500 years ago

Artwork by Herbert Kawainui Kane

Chinese navigators -1405 to1433 Admiral Zheng He took 317

ships into Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Non-military, ships loaded

with Ming Dynasty

treasures to be shared.

Chinese invented:

1) Compass

2) Central rudder

3) Watertight compartments

4) Better sails

European navigators -1453, Turks ceased trade to East.

Circa 150

Christopher Columbus tried to find western passage to India.

Voyages of Christopher Columbus

Ferdinand Magellan (1519) –

using revised maps, also

wanted to find western trade

route.

Magellan killed in Philippines, crew went on to

circumnavigate globe. 18 of 260 sailors returned.

Captain James Cook (1768)

left Plymouth on HMS

Endeavor.

Primary mission to show

British dominance

In addition, this was the first

(known) mission to focus on

science.

Charted New Zealand,

mapped Great Barrier Reef.

2 other ships sent out (HMS Resolution and Adventure).

2nd trip – Charted Tonga, Easter Island, circumnavigated

Earth at high latitudes.

3rd trip (HMS Resolution and Discovery)

Charted west coast of North America

1st European to discover Hawai‘i

During Cook’s voyages:

1) Took samples of marine life,

land plants and animals.

2) Sampled ocean floor and

geological formations.

Cook’s Voyages

Matthew Maury (US naval

officer) compiled charts of

ocean currents and winds.

Known as founder of Physical

Oceanography.

HMS Challenger –

first voyage (1872) devoted

100% to oceanography.

First to take complete cores of

deep-sea sediments.

First time ‘oceanography’ used.

To date – longest continuous oceanographic expedition.

One mission - investigate contention that life below 1800ft

impossible.

Discovered 4717 new species at depths of 26,580 feet.