The First International Conference on Oceanography (Brussels, 1853)

M. F. Maury, head of the U.S. Naval Observatory. started to compile meteorological and sea surface data from the logbooks. This allowed him, during the 1840's to expand knowledges in descriptive oceanography. Willing to extend the geographical coverage of his data bank and chartings, Maury wanted to involve merchant navy as well as ships from other nations. This led him to consider favourably projects of universal networks for meteorological data collection such as proposed by the Russian Kupffer in the early 1850's. Maury tried to establish such co-operation when British and US officials came... Mehr ...