HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE GEOLOGY AT ODESSA UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The beginnings of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University (ONU), Ukraine, date back to 1865. Its Department of Physical and Marine Geology continues the school’s strong tradition in marine geological research. This paper describes the main developmental stages of marine geology at Odessa University, emphasizing the role of the scientists (among them V. Lapshin, R. Prendel, N. Golovkinskiy, N. Andrusov, and G. G. Tkachenko) who played significant roles in geological research in the Black Sea region.Following the Great October Revolution in the early 1920s, the Novorossian University was closed, and its leading scientists left to enrich foreign universities. It took ten years to revive the university anew with the name I. I. Mechnikov Odessa State University.In the early 1970s, marine geology began to flourish thanks to G. G. Tkachenko. He established the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Marine Geology and Geochemistry as well as the university’s first scientific fleet, represented by the research vessels “Mechnikov” and “Antares.” University marine geologists worked around the globe, exploring mineral resources, including hydrocarbons and iron-manganese nodules. Today, the Department of Physical and Marine Geology contributes substantially to the development of mineral resources in Ukraine. It has established international contacts with many scientists through numerous research programmes supervised by the Department Head, Prof. Valentina Yanko. The projects have geological, ecological and geoarchaeological impact, especially in preserving the environment as well as reconstructing sea level and climate changes together with the associated human adaptive strategies.