Journal of Marine Science: An Open Framework Dedicated to the Presentation of the Discoveries and Insights in Marine Science Research

Marine environment represents a very important and actual topic. Water bodies cover more than two thirds of the earth’s surface and even after thousands of years, scientists have yet to fully uncover their mysteries. At the same time climate, change has visible effects with a growing dynamics in the last decades and the marine environment is very sensitive to these changes. In order to mitigate the effects of the climate change there is an increasing need of reducing the CO2 emissions and from this perspective the marine environment represents an important source of clean renewable energy. In this respect, the Journal of Marine Science represented even from the beginning an open framework dedicated to the presentation of the discoveries and insights in marine science research.

Historical connections between early marine science research and dissemination: the case study of aquarium Vasco Da Gama (Portugal) from late 19th century to mid-20th century

In the late 19th century, there was a bloom of public aquariums throughout Europe. Some of them were built for entertainment purposes, whereas others were connected to marine science stations. This article explores the origins and development of the aquarium/marine research station Vasco da Gama (Portugal) as an example of this duality. Initially, the aquarium was created in 1898 by the Portuguese Society of Geography, in a political context of national affirmation. In the first years, a deficient establishment, lack of financial resources, and scarce technical knowledge contributed for its degradation. Therefore, the Navy took over the aquarium in the early 1900s, delivering its management some years later to the Portuguese Society of Natural Sciences. After improvements and modifications, it became one of the first marine biological stations in 1919. This was important for the development of national marine science research at a time of scarce resources. Despite many years of a symbiotic relation between science research and dissemination, the demolition of part of the aquarium/marine station due to a road construction in 1940 brought issues of disequilibrium between both functions. This eventually led to the separation of aquarium and marine station in 1950. Other themes such as connections to national and international institutions are also discussed.

The Material Point Method and its Potential Applications in Marine Science

In this paper, the material point method (MPM) is reviewed. Its theory and advantages over other numerical methods are briefly summarized, and current development status reviewed. Due to the unique features of the MPM, it can be a significant tool in marine science research. Potential applications in marine science are also discussed.