Pioneers of Plankton Research: Alister Hardy (1896-1985)

• Published in: Journal of Plankton Research
• Main Author: Dolan, John
• Other Authors: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03697108; https://hal.science/hal-03697108/document; https://hal.science/hal-03697108/file/HAL_HardyPlanktonPioneer.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbac033

International audience Alister Hardy is known among plankton researchers for developing and employing his Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). The CPR likely needs no introduction. Hardy used the first version of the CPR during the 1925-1927 Discovery Expedition to the Southern Ocean (Fig. 1). By the last count attempted, 30 years ago, there were already over 400 publications based on CPR data (Gamble & Hunt 1992). In more recent years, several reviews have been devoted to CPR studies (e.g. Planque & Reid 2002; Reid et al. 2003; Richardson et al. 2006; Baten & Burkill 2010). However, while the CPR is well known, many plankton researchers today are likely unfamiliar with the story of its genesis and its precursors, as well as the full breadth of Hardy's contributions to plankton research. Here I will attempt to provide an introduction to the plankton research of Alister Hardy. Summaries will be provided of his extensive plankton work, beginning with studies of the food of herring in early 1920's, and ending with his last article, published posthumously, on 'aerial plankton' in 1986. As the CPR studies of Hardy have received substantial attention, CPR development and the early surveys will be but briefly covered. The following account is based on both Marshall's biographical Memoire of Hardy (Marshall 1986) and Hardy's articles and books. Alister Clavering Hardy was born on the 10th of February 1896 into a relatively well to do family. He attended a good preparatory school (Bramcote) followed by the public school Oundle, and in 1914 was admitted to Exeter College of Oxford University. Hardy's college education was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. Hardy first served as commissioned officer, an Acting Captain, in charge of a company assigned the duties of digging and manning trenches along the East Coast of England followed by service as an assistant camouflage officer in London. Hardy finally returned to Oxford in 1919 and there focused on zoology. It was an Honors Class on ...