Martin W. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Professor Martin Wiggo Johnson (born September 30, 1893, Chandler, South Dakota, died November 28, 1984, Snohomish, Washington
, was an American
oceanographer.
. As a young man, he was a general ranch hand. His family moved to Washington State, where he worked as a logger and as a guard on salmon traps.
, Johnson attended the University of Washington
and graduated in 1923. He was later awarded a PhD
by his university.
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County founded by the british, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman...
, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
oceanographer.
Background
Of Scandinavian ancestry, Johnson was born in a farm house on the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. As a young man, he was a general ranch hand. His family moved to Washington State, where he worked as a logger and as a guard on salmon traps.
Education
After army service during World War IWorld 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...
, Johnson attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and graduated in 1923. He was later awarded a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
by his university.
Career summary
- Curator of the Friday Harbor biological station
- Scientific assistant at the Passamaquoddy International Fisheries Commission
- Associate of the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, 1933–1934 - Research associate, Scripps Institution of OceanographyScripps Institution of OceanographyScripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
, La Jolla, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1934 - Professor of marine biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to 1961
- Professor emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Publications
- Concerning the copepod Eucalanus elongatus Dana and its varieties in the northeast Pacific by Martin Wiggo Johnson (1938)
- Some Observations on the Feeding Habits of the Octopus by Martin W. Johnson in Science (8 May 1942)
- Concerning the proposed word "echolocation" by Martin W. Johnson in Science (23 March 1945)
- The Oceans: Their Physics, Chemistry and General Biology by Harald SverdrupHarald SverdrupHarald Ulrik Sverdrup was a Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist who made a number of important theoretical discoveries in these fields. Having first worked in Bergen and Leipzig he was the scientific director of the North Polar expedition of Roald Amundsen aboard the Maud from 1918 to 1925...
, Martin W. Johnson and Richard H. Fleming (1942, new edition 1970) - The Euphausiacea (Crustacea) of the North Pacific by Brian P. Boden, Martin W. Johnson, and Edward Brinton (Bulletin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Volume 6, Number 8, 1955)
- Marine and Fresh Water Plankton by Martin W. Johnson in Ecology (Vol. 37, No. 4, 1956, pp. 859–860)
- Production and distribution of larvae of the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus (Randall) with records on P. gracilis Streets by Martin Wiggo Johnson (1960)
- The palinurid and scyllarid lobster larvae of the tropical eastern Pacific, and their distribution as related to the prevailing hydrography by Martin Wiggo Johnson (1971)
Honours
- Alexander Agassiz MedalAlexander Agassiz MedalThe 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...
, 1959
- "For his outstanding leadership in biological and general oceanography. Among Dr. Johnson's contributions are explanations for two newly discovered acoustic phenomena in the sea. These explanations brought biologist and physicists together in a common interest, and introduced underwater acoustics as a prime tool for marine ecology".
Private life
- He was a mandolin player
- His hobby was wood carving
- A scientific paper called Spectral properties of Noctiluca miliaris Suriray, a heterotrophic dinoflagellate, by W.M. Balch and F.T. Haxo (1983), was "...dedicated to Martin W.Johnson on the occasion of his 90th birthday".