New Linacre Professor at Oxford: Prof. A. C. Hardy, F.R.S.

Abstract

PROF. A. C. HARDY, whose recent appointment as Linacre professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Oxford has been announced, is especially distinguished for his work in the sphere of oceanography. He is a leading authority on marine plankton, and throughout his researches has stressed the ecological aspect. Prof. Hardy started his career as a member of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Research Staff at Lowestoft in 1921, working on the natural history of the herring in relation to the plankton. In 1924 he joined the research staff of the Discovery as chief zoologist under the late Dr. Stanley Kemp. He went on the Antarctic voyage of 1925–27, and published, with the late Dr. E. R. Gunther, important results on the ecology of plankton animals in southern waters. These included studies of animal and plant interrelations (developing his hypothesis of animal exclusion), 'patchiness' of plankton, correlations of whale and plankton distribution, vertical migration and the combined effect of this with varying current systems at different depths.