Johan Hjort
Encyclopedia
Johan Hjort FRS  was a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 fisheries scientist, marine zoologist
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...

, and oceanographer
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...

. He was among the most prominent and influential marine zoologists of his time.

The early years

Johan Hjort was the first child of Johan S.A. Hjort, a professor of ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...

, and Elisabeth Falsen, of the Falsen
Christian Magnus Falsen
Christian Magnus Falsen was a Norwegian constitutional father, statesman, jurist, and historian. He was an important member of the constitutional assembly and was one of the writers of the constitutional laws....

 family. Among his siblings was engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

 Alf Hjort
Alf Hjort
Alf Hjort was a Norwegian born American electrical engineer.-Background:Alf Hjort was born in Christiania, now Oslo, Norway. He was a younger brother of Norwegian oceanographer and marine zoologist Johan Hjort. Their parents were Johan S.A. Hjort, a professor of ophthalmology, and Elisabeth Falsen...

, who became a leader of subwater tunnel constructions in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Johan Hjort had wanted to become a zoologist since his early schooldays, but to please his father he took initial courses in medicine, before following Fridtjof Nansen's
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

 advice and his own wish, leaving for University of München to study zoology with Richard Hertwig
Richard Hertwig
Richard Wilhelm Karl Theodor Ritter von Hertwig , also Richard Hertwig or Richard von Hertwig, was a German zoologist and professor of 50 years, notable as the first to describe zygote formation as the fusing of spermatozoa inside the membrane of an egg cell during fertilization.Richard Hertwig was...

. He then worked at the Stazione Zoologica in Napoli
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

 on an embryological problem, which led to his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 in München at age 23 in 1892. He returned to Norway to become curator of the University Zoological Museum, where he developed more modern courses for students, and in 1894 he succeeded G.O. Sars
Georg Sars
Georg Ossian Sars was a Norwegian marine biologist.Georg Ossian Sars was born on April 20, 1837, in Kinn, Norway , the son of Michael Sars and Maren Sars; the historian Ernst Sars was his elder brother, and the singer Eva Nansen was his younger sister. He grew up in Manger, Hordaland, where his...

 as Research Fellow in Fisheries. After a year at University of Jena he was in 1897 appointed the directorship of the University Biological Station in Drøbak
Drøbak
Drøbak is an unincorporated city and the centre of the municipality of Frogn, in Akershus county, Norway. The city is located along the Oslofjord, and has 13,358 inhabitants....

.

International career

Hjort became the director at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research is a national consultative research institute which is owned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs. The Institute performs research and provides advisory services in the fields of marine ecosystems and aquaculture.With a staff of almost 700,...

 in Bergen, from 1900 to 1916. His early influences abroad kept him involved in international research work, and he was among the founding fathers of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is the world’s oldest intergovernmental science organization. ICES is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its multinational Secretariat staff of 51 provide scientific, administrative and secretarial support to the ICES community...

 in 1902. He was the Norwegian delegate at ICES
Ices
Ices may refer to:*Frozen desserts, particularly within the United Kingdom*Frozen volatiles, in the context of astronomy and planetary science*Phases of iceICES may stand for:*Inflight Crew Escape System, in the Space Shuttle...

 from 1902 to 1938, when he was elected President, a position he held to his death in 1948.

In 1909, Sir John Murray
John Murray (oceanographer)
Sir John Murray KCB FRS FRSE FRSGS was a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist.-Early life:...

 wrote to the Norwegian government that if they would lend the Michael Sars vessel to him for a four-month research cruise, under Hjort's scientific command, then Murray would pay all expenses. After a winter of preparation, this resulted in what was by that time the most ambitious oceanographic research cruise ever. The 1912 Murray and Hjort book The Depths of the Ocean quickly became a classic for marine naturalists and oceanographers.

For several years, Hjort had been interested in the statistical nature and causes of the large fluctuations of fish populations. He was the first to apply actuarial statistical methods to study these phenomena, aided also by measurement techniques that made it possible to estimate the age of sampled fish. Hjort's studies culminated in the 1914 article Fluctuations in the Great Fisheries of Northern Europe, which was a pivotal work in the development of fisheries science.

These studies made him interested in population dynamics
Population dynamics
Population dynamics is the branch of life sciences that studies short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes...

 more generally, the challenge of understanding the growth of populations of different organisms, ranging from cultures of yeast at one extreme to man, whales and fish at the other. He considered implications of such studies important also for human society, influenced in such views by Malthus, Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...

 and others. He was early on concerned with effects of over-fishing, with the declining whale populations in the Antarctic an early warning, and worked on methods for determining the optimum catch that would secure sustainable populations.

Hjort was a versatile individual who could also apply his broadly based theoretical knowledge in strikingly practical ways. In 1924 he invented novel industrial mechanical machinery for extraction of whale oil
Whale oil
Whale oil is the oil obtained from the blubber of various species of whales, particularly the three species of right whale and the bowhead whale prior to the modern era, as well as several other species of baleen whale...

 from blubber. He is also credited with being the "practical inventor of shrimp fishery
Shrimp fishery
A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. .-Commercial shrimping:...

", on both sides of the Atlantic. The shrimp, in particular the deep-water shrimp Pandalus borealis
Pandalus borealis
Pandalus borealis is a species of shrimp found in cold parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Many different common names are used, including pink shrimp, deepwater prawn, deep-sea prawn, great northern prawn, and northern shrimp.-Distribution:P...

, were known species, but were considered rare and not worth looking for. Around 1898, Hjort adapted earlier designs of deep-sea trawls on the soft bottoms of the deep Norwegian fjords and soon discovered enormous stocks of Pandalus borealis. This at first did not impress the fishermen. As H.G. Maurice, the 1920–1938 President of the ICES
Ices
Ices may refer to:*Frozen desserts, particularly within the United Kingdom*Frozen volatiles, in the context of astronomy and planetary science*Phases of iceICES may stand for:*Inflight Crew Escape System, in the Space Shuttle...

, recalls, "Hjort wasted no time in argument. He went prawn fishing, returned to harbour with a spectacular catch and dumped it on the quay. That was enough. With that practical demonstration he laid the foundation of an exceedingly profitable fishery and a flourishing export trade" (Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...

, 1947, vol. 162). Many years later, when travelling to Harvard in 1936 to collect an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...

, he predicted that the deep-sea shrimp would be found off the New England coast, since the ecological conditions were similar to those of the soft-bottomed Norwegian fjords. Taking time off to pursue his hypotheses, he was given command of the research ship Atlantis, and found vast amounts of prawns exactly where he predicted they would be; this led to the formation of a shrimp fishery
Shrimp fishery
A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. .-Commercial shrimping:...

 industry on the US side.

During the first world war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Hjort to some extent became engaged in politics and specifically foreign relations with both Germany and Britain. Hjort was asked to take part in negotiations between Norway and England to reach agreement on fish-purchase, and he did so, on the assumption that the agreement would be made public. Norway's foreign minister Nils Claus Ihlen
Nils Claus Ihlen
Nils Claus Ihlen was a Norwegian engineer and politician for the Liberal Party. He served as foreign minister of Norway between 1913 and 1920.-Personal life:...

, who was afraid of German reprisals, demanded however that it should be kept secret. In protest, Hjort resigned, both from the negotiations and also as Director of Fisheries, and left Norway for some years. After spending time in Denmark and at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

, he was given a professorship in Oslo from 1921.

Hjort was a frequent contributor to public debate, and wrote both books, essays and newspaper articles on themes ranging from popularisation (and unification) of science to politics and philosophy.

For his achievements in science and in practical oceanographic and fisheries research Hjort was awarded several honours, including honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...

s from the universities of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, Harvard and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. He was an elected Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...

 of a number of foreign scientific societies, including the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...

. He was given the first ever Agassiz Medal
Alexander Agassiz Medal
The Alexander Agassiz Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for an original contribution in the science of oceanography. It was established by Sir John Murray in honor of his friend Alexander Agassiz.-Recipients:-References:NotesA...

, and received the Orders of St Olav, of Nordstjernen, and of Dannebrog.

Sir Alister Hardy
Alister Hardy
Sir Alister Clavering Hardy, FRS was an English marine biologist, expert on zooplankton and marine ecosystems...

 writes the following about Hjort: "He was one of the great leaders in oceanography whose names will live in the annals of that science [...] His fame will last both for the contributions he made to oceanic biology, especially in that classic The Depths of the Ocean which he published with Sir John Murray as a result of their North Atlantic expedition in 1910, and equally for his remarkable pioneer achievements in practical fisheries research. All in a position to judge [...] regard him as the most outstanding personality in the ICES
Ices
Ices may refer to:*Frozen desserts, particularly within the United Kingdom*Frozen volatiles, in the context of astronomy and planetary science*Phases of iceICES may stand for:*Inflight Crew Escape System, in the Space Shuttle...

 since its foundation in 1902; from that date until his death he remained the Norwegian delegate and became its President in 1938."

In his book about Norwegian scientists, professor Francis Bull
Francis Bull
Francis Bull was a Norwegian literary historian, professor at the University of Oslo for more than thirty years, essayist and speaker, and magazine editor.-Early and personal life:...

 gave the following description of Hjort: "As a superior, he was without peer; helpful, kind, patient – as an equal, rather difficult, because he always believed he was right – and as a subordinate, sure of himself and full of the desire to oppose."

Hjort had four children with Wanda Maria von der Marwitz (1868–1952), whom he met while a student in München in 1893. His eldest son is the supreme court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...

 lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 Johan Bernhard Hjort (1895–1969).

Selected publications

  • 1892: Zum Entwicklungscyklus der zusammengesetzen Ascidien. Zool. Anz. 15, 218–332.
  • 1912 (with Sir John Murray
    John Murray (oceanographer)
    Sir John Murray KCB FRS FRSE FRSGS was a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist.-Early life:...

    ): The Depths of the Ocean. Reprinted 1965 as Tomus xxxvii in the Historiae Naturalis Classica series.
  • 1914: Fluctuations in the Great Fisheries of Northern Europe. Rapports, Conceil Permanent International pour l'Exploration de la Mer.
  • 1921: The Unity of Science. Gyldendal, London. http://www.us.archive.org/GnuBook/?id=unityofsciencesk00hjoruoft#7
  • 1927: Utenrikspolitiske oplevelser under verdenskrigen (Foreign policy experiences during the world war). Gyldendal Norsk Forlag.
  • 1931: The Emperor's New Clothes. Confessions of a Biologist. (Also published in Norwegian and in German.)
  • 1933 (with G. Jahn and P. Ottestad): The Optimum Catch. Hvalrådets skrifter, 7, 92–127.
  • 1935: Human Activities and the Study of Life in the Sea: An Essay on Methods of Research and Experiment. The Geographical Review (American Geographical Society).
  • 1937: The story of whaling. A parable of sociology. Sci. Mon., London, 45, 19–34.
  • 1938: The Human Value of Biology. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • 1940: Tilbake til arbeidet (Back to work). Gyldendal Norsk Forlag.
  • 1945: Krigen. Det store folkebedrag. Essays om dens problemer (The War: The Great Deception. Essays on its Problems).
  • 1948: The renaissance of the individual. Journal of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, 15, 157–168.

Named after Hjort


See also

  • Alexander Agassiz Medal
    Alexander Agassiz Medal
    The Alexander Agassiz Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for an original contribution in the science of oceanography. It was established by Sir John Murray in honor of his friend Alexander Agassiz.-Recipients:-References:NotesA...

  • Age class structure
    Age class structure
    Age class structure in fisheries and wildlife management is a part of population assessment. Age can be determined by counting growth rings in fish scales, otoliths, cross-sections of fin spines for species with thick spines such as triggerfish, or teeth for a few species. Each method has its...

  • Sir Alister Hardy
    Alister Hardy
    Sir Alister Clavering Hardy, FRS was an English marine biologist, expert on zooplankton and marine ecosystems...

  • Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

  • International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
    International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
    The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is the world’s oldest intergovernmental science organization. ICES is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its multinational Secretariat staff of 51 provide scientific, administrative and secretarial support to the ICES community...

  • International Whaling Commission
    International Whaling Commission
    The International Whaling Commission is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling , which was signed in Washington, D.C...

  • List of people on stamps of Norway
  • Sir John Murray
    John Murray (oceanographer)
    Sir John Murray KCB FRS FRSE FRSGS was a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist.-Early life:...

  • Pandalus borealis
    Pandalus borealis
    Pandalus borealis is a species of shrimp found in cold parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Many different common names are used, including pink shrimp, deepwater prawn, deep-sea prawn, great northern prawn, and northern shrimp.-Distribution:P...

  • Shrimp fishery
    Shrimp fishery
    A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. .-Commercial shrimping:...

  • Wilson Mountains
    Wilson Mountains
    The Wilson Mountains First photographed from the air by USAS, 1940. Mapped by USGS from U.S. Navy aerial photographs taken 1966-69. In association with the names of continental drift scientists grouped in this area, named by US-ACAN after John Tuzo Wilson , Canadian geophysicist who visited...


External links

  • Francis Bull (1965): Norske portretter: Videnskapsmenn (Norwegian Portraits: Scientists).
  • Johan Bernhard Hjort (1969): In memory of my father Johan Hjort at his 100 year anniversary.
  • Tim Smith (1994): Scaling Fisheries: The Science of Measuring the Effects of Fishing, 1855–1955. Cambridge University Press.
  • Vera Schwach (2000): The Sea, the Fish, and the Science. From Fisheries Investigations to Marine Research Institute 1860–2000.
  • Vera Schwach (2002): Internationalist and Norwegian at the same time: Johan Hjort and ICES. ICES Marine Science Symposia, 215, 39–44.
  • Ivo de Figueiredo (2002): Johan Bernhard Hjort: Fri mann (Free Man), Aschehoug (in Norwegian); a biography of Hjort's son, that also describes Johan Hjort, his family and values.

External links

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