This article is a part of our collection known as the Marine Hall Of Distinction. It is a different series from our main monthly series & has no connection to the main monthly series. In this special collection, we will discuss marine biologists who we feel have served marine biology & oceanography the most. We do this in order to commemorate these marine biologists & to show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. This collection has no relation to the main monthly series. This series is published on the 25th of every month, shortly after our article on the oceanic environment of a certain region on the 20th. Today’s marine biologist is Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun, more commonly known as Carl Chun. He is most well known for his work on the Valdivia Expedition of 1898, & his discovery of the Vampire Squid, a deep sea cephalopod. He was a university professor of marine sciences & biology. Across his career as a marine biologist, he taught classes at 3 german universities, participated in at least one scientific expedition, discovered an entirely new group of cephalopod, & published multiple scientific papers. Although he is most well known for his work relating to cephalopods, he was incredibly influential on planktonic organisms as well. In this article, we shall discuss the Education & Formative Years Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun, The Career & Later Life Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun & the Accomplishments, Achievements, Awards, & Honorables Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun. With that being said, let us delve into the life of one of the most important malacologists of the 20th century.
The Education & Formative Life Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun
Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun was born on October 1st, 1856 in Höchst, Germany. He was born to Gustav Chun. His interest in Zoology, Biology, & Marine Biology were sparked at a young age from visiting the Seneckenberg museum, & listening to various lectures. Aside from this, very little is known about his Childhood. Impassioned about the subject of zoology, he would get his bachelor degree of Zoology from the University of Göttingen, & his P.h.D in Zoology from the University of Leipzig in 1874.
The Career & Later Life Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun
Upon graduating from university in 1878, he became an assistant to German zoologist Rudolf Leuckhart. He would continue his work under Leuckhart until 1883. His interest in marine biology was further spurred by his work at the Naples Zoological Station, where he researched & studied comb jellyfish, which he would later publish a monograph on. Soon after, in 1883, he became a professor at the German University of Königsberg, where he would remain until 1891. Shortly after becoming a professor, he married Lily Vogt, the daughter of Karl Vogt. They would go on to have two children together, Annie, born in 1885, & Lily, born in 1887. During his time at the University of Königsberg in 1888, he described Seasonal Vertical Migration, a process in which animals will stay at lower depths in the ocean for several months, then migrate further up as temperatures change. In 1891, he decided to move to Breslau, where he would continue being a professor & lecturer. In 1898, he would move back to Leipzig, & continue his Professorial work. Inspired by the British Challenger expedition that lasted from 1872 to 1876, he desired to host a deep sea expedition of his own. One of the widely accepted theories at the time, the Abyssus Theory, stated that life could not exist below 300 fathoms. Chun heavily disagreed with this, & felt that marine life had to exist in abundance in the deep ocean. Emboldened to prove this theory wrong, he presented the idea to the society for German Natural Scientists & Doctors in 1897, who gladly gave him the funding necessary for such a study. The steam ship known as the SS Valdivia was commissioned for the project, & on August 1st of 1898, the ship set sail from Hamburg Germany. On this expedition, he would discover the Vampire Squid in the Southern Hemisphere. Additionally, he found many other interesting deep sea organisms, ranging from squid to fish. Many of these species were bioluminescent, a trait previously not well studied. A publication detailing all of the information about the voyage was collected in a 24 volume book, & published in 1940. Unfortunately in 1908, a trophy head of a deer fell onto him, injuring him. Although he made a full recovery from this injury, he would pass away soon after as a result of a Heart Condition. He passed away on April 1st, 1914. His contributions to marine biology will never be forgotten, & will forever be appreciated.
The Achievements, Accomplishments, Awards, & Honourables Of Karl Friedrich Gustav Chun
He was awarded the Cothenius Medal from the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
He disproved the Abyssus ocean theory.
He discovered an entirely new subcategory of cephalopods & a new species of cephalopod named Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (Vampire Squid).
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Carl Chun - The Man With A Deep Insight”, Written by Greta Paulsdottir, & Published on February 24th, 2021. Published by the Polar Journal. Retrieval Date: May 15th, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “The Valdivia Expedition, Carl Chun's diving into the deep sea”, Written by Unknown & Published on June 3rd, 2020. Published by Senses Atlas. Retrieval Date: May 15th, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “Pioneers of plankton research: Carl Chun (1852–1914)”, Written by John R. Dolan, & Published in December of 2023. Published by the Journal Of Plankton Research. Retrieval Date: May 15th, 2024.
Citation No. 4: “Chun, Karl Friedrich Gustav”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Hessen. Retrieval Date: May 15th, 2024.
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