ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

The Plankton Discovery: Historiographical Insights into the Emergence of Limnology and Marine Science

• In Event: Sea-Work and Modern Science 1900-1939 1

English Abstract

This paper explores how the discovery of plankton represented a historiographical moment that profoundly shaped limnology and marine science. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European and North American researchers began to unravel the complexity of plankton, which not only provided a window into the structure of aquatic ecosystems but also stimulated disciplinary innovations. Tracing the evolution of plankton research, this study demonstrates how early quantitative and observational methods catalysed the development of distinct but interconnected frameworks in marine and freshwater ecology. Central to this analysis is a comparative investigation of seminal figures such as Victor Hensen, whose coining of the term “plankton” unified several research agendas, and pioneers including Michael Sars, Georg Ossian Sars, and François-Alphonse Forel. Their work laid the foundation for subsequent studies that have expanded our understanding of plankton's ecological roles – from trophic dynamics and material cycles to biogeochemical processes. The panel discusses how debates over the phylogenetic classification, distribution, and migration of plankton have led to methodological innovations that have fostered a broader ecological perspective. The momentum generated by plankton research not only advanced the individual fields of limnology and marine science but also established a shared conceptual framework within the history of ecology. This approach emphasizes that the early interdisciplinary exchanges between limnologists and oceanographers were fundamental to the formation of modern ecological thinking. Ultimately, the “plankton moment” was a critical point that redefined the boundaries of aquatic science, encouraging a more integrated study of marine and freshwater environments and offering new insights into the formation of ecological paradigms.

Author

• Pier Luigi Pireddu, University of Lisbon