Victor Hensen

Who was Victor Hensen?

Christian Andreas Victor Hensen was a German zoologist. He coined the term plankton and laid the foundation for biological oceanography.

Hensen was born in the town of Schleswig. He studied medicine at the universities of Würzburg, Berlin and Kiel. In 1859, he received his doctorate in Kiel for a thesis on epilepsy and urinary secretions.

In 1867, he became a member of the Prussian House of Representatives to push towards studies of the ocean. Upon his initiative, the Royal Prussian Commission for the Exploration of the Oceans was founded.

From 1871 to 1891, Hensen was professor of physiology at Kiel. During his time, he was head of five marine biological expeditions to the Baltic and North Seas, as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

Hensen also worked in embryology and anatomy. He discovered a structure in the ear, the Hensen duct, and a structure essential for the development of birds, the Hensen's node.

The RV VICTOR HENSEN is a research vessel named in his honor.