Francis Charles Fraser, 16 June 1903 - 21 October 1978

• Published in: Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society
• Main Author: Marshall, Norman Bertram
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1979
• Subjects: Southern Ocean; baleen whales; Euphausia superba
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1979.0010; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbm.1979.0010

Francis Charles Fraser, internationally respected as a leading authority on whales, dolphins and porpoises, spent most of his career (1933-69) in the British Museum (Natural History). His introduction to cetology could not have been better. From 1925 to 1933 he was a zoologist on ‘ Discovery Investigations’, charged with the main task of studying the life and death of whales in relation to their physical and biological surroundings in the Southern Ocean. Fraser’s Discovery research, as will be seen, was considerably more than that represented in his definitive study on the development of krill ( Euphausia superba ), the food of the large baleen whales. His publications from the Museum were almost entirely concerned with cetaceans. That he was able to pursue this research, despite the heavy and increasing demands of museum and other duties, was due to his adroitness as an organizer and the disciplined way he divided his time. There was also his determination, which matched his sturdy figure. His personal qualities will emerge as this memoir proceeds. But it is right now to say that many remember him with affection and miss the warmth of his company.