Of Fish and Men: Spanish Marine Science during the Late Eighteenth Century

Abstract

less, as part of the expeditions of Alejandro Malaspina (1789-1794) and the Royal Scientific Expedition to New Spain (1785-1803), they stand alongside their European counterparts' as contributors to the scientific and ethnographic knowledge of the Pacific, its islands, and coastal areas. Yet these men failed to receive widespread recognition for their accomplishments, even in scientific circles, because a combination of unfortunate circumstances greeted their expeditions' return to Europe. Primarily, Spain's investigators were denied the essen-