Historical review of ichthyological research in Indonesia

Abstract

The history of ichthyological research in Indonesian waters falls into four major periods: pre-colonial (from earliest recorded history until the end of the 16th century), colonial (from the beginning of the 17th century to Indonesian independence in 1945), post-independence (from 1945 to 2000) and the 21st century. Scientific fish collections began with French expeditions conducted in the early 19th century, including La Physicienne (1817-1820), L'Uranie (1818-1819), La Coquille (1823), L'Astrolabe (1826-1829) and La Bonite (1836-1837). British and Dutch expeditions included those of H. M. S. Curacoa (1873) and H. M. S. Challenger (1872-1876), the Siboga (1899-1900), and the Snellius I (1929-1930) respectively. These expeditions did not involve Indonesian scientists; nor were collected materials deposited in Indonesian Institutions. More recent expeditions and with the participation of the Indonesian Government included the Baruna Expedition (1964), the Te Vega (1963, 1965) and the Alpha Helix cruises (1979), the Rumphius Expedition I-IV (1972-1980), the Corindon Expedition II-III (1982-1984), the Snellius II (1984-1985), the Karubar (1991) and the Anambas (2002).Proceedings of the Horiba International Conference "New Direction of Ocean Research in the Western Pacific" : Past, Present and Future of UNESCO/IOC/WESTPAC Activity for 50 years and the JSPS Project "Coastal Marine Science"Section II: Historical Review of Coastal Research in Southeast Asi