Georg Ossian Sars

Born April 20th 1837 in Florø ( Norway ), died April 7th 1927.Son of Michael Sars (1805 - 1869) and Maren Cathrine Welhaven Sars. Brother of Ernst Sars.

Georg Ossian Sars studied both medicine and zoology. His mean influence in research was Darwinism, and this meant he met some opposition with his theories as first. He got the Crown prince’s Gold medal for a larger work on freshwater KREPSDYR in 1862. In 1864 he received a state scholarship to practical-science investigation of cod-fisheries. From 1873 – 1893 he was Norway’s first fishery scholarship along with his professor at zoology from 1874. Corresponding Member of the Physical-Mathematical Division since 07.12.1896.

In the 1860s there arose a conflict between the fishermen and whale fishers in the northern parts of Norway. The fishermen meant that exaggerated fishing on whales would lead to no whales that would drive the cod towards the coastline. The authorities then started what today is Norway Fishing Department, and appointed Georg Ossian Sars as it’s leader. His first task was to find out in which way whale-fishing had an influence on cod-fishing. There came a close and respectful SAMARBEID between researchers, fishermen and the authorities.

EXPEDITIONS
In the summers from 1872-1876, the Norwegian "Vøringen” expedition researched and found connections between the “food-fish” migration, early stages and life cycles, and connected this to research around plankton, currencies in the water, temperature, and degree of salt in the water, which leads to what we today call ecological understanding of the oceans nutrition production. In the years 1876 – 1878, he lead the first North Sea expedition together with Henrik Mohn (1838-1921). Another member of this expedition was Hermann Friele, who as the others was great zoologist. They did the first hydrographical and zoology UNDERSØKELSE of this important part of the ocean. This provided Bergen Museum the large material that resulted in their strong international position within marine biological research from the 1880s and further on as a gift.