Marine Biological Hall Of Distinction: Lady Anna Thynne
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 the area of the month on the 20th.
Today’s marine biologist, is British marine biologist & zoologist, Lady Anna Thynne. Lady Anna Thynne is a British marine zoologist known for her expertise related to sponges, & aquariums. She is credited for being the woman who brought Aquariums to London, with the book Theatres of Glass being dedicated to chronicling her work.
In today’s article, we shall delve into Lady Anna Thynne’s Formative Years & Education, Her Personal Life & Career, & her Achievements, Accomplishments, Awards & Honorables. With that being said, let us delve into the life & work of Anna Thynne.
Her Formative Years & Education
Anna Constantia Thynne was born Anna Constantia Beresford, in 1806. She was born to Reverend Charles Cobbe Beresford, a priest. It is theorized she was born in Ireland, however that is unclear. Unfortunately, very little is known about her younger years. She developed a love & passion for Zoology from a young age, & was always fascinated by natural sciences.
Her Personal Life & Career
Lady Thynne married Lord John Thynne, an Anglican Priest & Aristocrat, on March 24th, 1823, at the age of 17. Together, they had at least 10 children, with 2 daughters & 8 sons.
Her love for marine biology wasn’t fully developed until a trip to Ireland in 1846 when she came across a Madrepore. Prior to this, she had an interest in sponges, however, she was far more fascinated by Madrepores, a kind of stony cold water coral. She became intrigued by it, as although it seemed like an ordinary rock, it was a living creature. She took a small piece of it back to London with her, & planted it into a glass tank in her drawing room. Due to not having access to constant sea water, the coral would be transferred to different tanks with new water every day. In 1847, she added a few kinds of marine plants to the Aquarium, & created the world’s first balanced marine aquarium, & a small marine ecosystem.
Soon after, she built & maintained the world’s first public aquarium at Westminster Abby, in a small tank.
In 1859, she published her first scientific article titled “On the Increase of Madrephores”, in the Annals & Magazine of Natural History, including Zoology, Botany, & Geology. This article can be found at https://archive.org.
Unfortunately, Lady Anna Thynne passed away in 1866, at the age of 60. Her contributions to fish-keeping, marine biology, & marine zoology will not be forgotten, & neither will her love for Madrephores.
Her Achievements, Accomplishments, Awards, & Honorables
She was the first person to open a public aquarium in London, & pioneered the idea of contemporary fish-keeping.
She directly inspired Philip Henry Goose to open the Fish House at the London Zoo in 1853. The Fish House unfortunately is no longer operational, however it is succeeded by the current Aquarium at the London Zoo.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Anna Thynne: Zoologist”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Prabook. Retrieval Date: October 1st, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “Inventing The Aquarium: A Short History”, Written by Kevin Edge & Published by the Horniman Museum. Retrieval Date: October 1st, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “Victorian Pioneers Of The Marine Aquarium”, Written by Tim Wijgerde, & Published on February 10th, 2016. Published by the Advanced Aquarist. Retrieval Date: October 2nd, 2024.
Citation No. 4: “First Public Aquarium”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by London Zoo. Retrieval Date: October 2nd, 2024.
Citation No. 5: “Vintage Aquariums”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Aquarium Architecture. Retrieval Date: October 2nd, 2024.
Citation No. 6: “When Were Aquariums Invented?”, Written by Dominic, & Published on May 30th, 2022. Published by Kraken Corals. Retrieval Date: October 2nd, 2024.
Citation No. 7: “On the Increase of Madrephores”, Written by Anna Thynne, & Published on April 6th, 1859. Published by The Annals & Magazine of Natural History, Including Zoology, Botany, & Geology. Retrieval Date: October 2nd, 2024.
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Fascinating read!!