E. W. L. Holt

Ernest William Lyons Holt (October 17, 1864 – June 10, 1922) was an eminent British marine naturalist and biologist specialized in ichthyology, the study of fish. His work helped lay a scientific foundation for the fishery management in Ireland, and together with William Spotswood Green, he strongly influenced the development of the Irish Fisheries in its early years. October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... -1... A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded) water-dwelling...

Born in London, ernest Holt was educated at Eton, where he won a prize in biology. After school, he entered the British Army, enrolling at Sandhurst and, his training completed, was posted to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. He participated in the Nile Campaign (1884/85) and then in the Third Burmese War of 1886/87. During that latter campaign, he fell sick and was invalided home. Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is an independent school for boys. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (commonly known as Sandhurst) is the British Army officer initial training centre. ... The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry was the 32nd Regiment of Foot of the British Army. ... 1884 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Third Anglo-Burmese War or just The Third Burmese war lasted from 1885 to 1887. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ...

Back in civilian life, Holt began studying zoology at the University of St. Andrews in 1888. Two years later, he participated as assistant-naturalist in a fishery survey on the west coast of Ireland, organized by the Royal Dublin Society. This expedition was led by William Spotswood Green, with whom Holt would work together for much of his later career. That survey made Holt's name as an ichthyologist; he published not only several papers on the eggs and the early larval stages of fish but also wrote the general report of the expedition. As a result of Green's and Holt's work, the government instituted a formal program of fishery surveys under the auspice of the newly formed Congested Districts Board in 1892. Green became the board's Chief Inspector of Fisheries, while Holt participated as a scientific advisor, although he would leave Ireland for a few years. Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... The University of St Andrews was founded between 1410 and 1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland (and third oldest in the English speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge ). The university is situated in the Royal Burgh of St Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland. ... See St Andrews, New South Wales for St Andrews, Sydney, Australia. ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) was founded in 1731. ... The Congested Districts Board for Ireland was formed in 1891 to allieviate poverty and congested living conditions in the west of Ireland. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Holt joined the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and worked until 1894 at Grimsby, where he was in charge of a newly openend research station for the North Sea. After a brief stint at the Station zoologique d'Endoumes at Marseille he then worked for three years at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Nevertheless, E. W. L. Holt maintained his ties with Ireland, and in 1895 he purschased a dismasted brigantine named Saturn for the Royal Dublin Society and had it equipped as a marine biology research station. In 1899, he returned to Ireland, taking charge of the Saturn and her four small auxiliary sailing boats used for sampling. The floating laboratory was stationed in the Connemara district in County Galway; it lay at Ballynakill in winter and was towed to Inishbofin for the summer months. In 1900, the Saturn was transferred to the new Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. Green became Chief Inspector of its Fisheries Branch; Holt was at first scientific advisor and later, as of 1908, Fisheries Inspector. They were joined by other young biologists, among them Rowland Southern and George Philip Farrar. 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Location within the British Isles Coat of Arms of Great Grimsby Great Grimsby (typically known simply as Grimsby) is a seaport on the river Humber in the north of England, which has a population of 91,000. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Description In sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, at least one of which is square rigged. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Connemara (Irish Conamara), which derives from Conmaicne Mara, (meaning: descendants of Conmhac, of the sea) is a district in the west of Ireland (County Galway). ... County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe in Irish) is located on the west coast of Ireland. ... Inishbofin in Ireland Inishbofin is an island about 8 kilometers off the coast of Connemara, Ireland. ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

With the department's research and fisheries protection vessel Helga they continued their surveys of the west coast of Ireland. In 1908, the ship was replaced by a new one, the Helga II, which was built to the specifications of green and Holt. With Holt's backing, the new ship participated in the Clare Island Survey of 1909–1911. When that was completed, the Helga II returned to her regular fisheries research and protection duties under the direction of Holt. 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Clare Island is magnificent mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

When Green retired in 1914, Holt succeeded him as Chief Inspector. Scientific work was stopped when World War I broke out, and the administrative duties of his post did not allow him to continue research work of his own. After the war, the political changes in Ireland as well as Holt's failing health prevented further serious research. In May 1922, Holt became seriously ill and left Dublin for London, where he died on June 10 that year of Bright's disease (an old term for glomerulonephritis, a kidney disease). In 1949, the MBA put into service a research vessel named after him. 1914 (MCMXIV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... Brights Disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. ... Glomerulonephritis is a primary or secondary autoimmune renal disease featuring inflammation of the glomeruli. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

References

• Biographical Etymology of Marine Organisms – H.
• Collins, T.: Oysters and antiquities: a biographical note on E.W.L. Holt, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 43, pp. 158–166; 1991.
• Collins, T.: The Helga/Muirchu: Her Contribution to Galway Maritime History, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 54, pp. 141–167, 2002.

Further reading

• Gordon, J. D. M.: The Rockall Trough, Northeast Atlantic: the Cradle of Deep-sea Biological Oceanography that is Now Being Subjected to Unsustainable Fishing Activity, J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci., Vol. 31: 57?83, 2003. Has some info on the two research vessels named Helga and their expeditions.
• 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on "Fisheries" mentions E. W. L. Holt several times.