**Expeditions Overview:**
– Dana I led by marine biologist Johannes Schmidt and C. F. Dreschel
– Proposal for deep sea exploration in Atlantic Ocean in 1916
– Emphasis on circumnavigating the world over two years
– Departure from Gibraltar in March 1919
– Fishing European eel larvae in Sargasso Sea
– Second expedition started in August 1921
– Third expedition began in late 1921 near Portugal and Spain
– Investigated strait of Gibraltar and Pacific Ocean
– Discovered oxygen minimum zone in Pacific
– Returned to Europe from Bermuda in May 1922
– Investigated oxygen minimum zone and freshwater eels in Indo-Pacific
– Traveled over 65,000 nautical miles
– Found giant larva believed to be of eel genus
– Schmidt used expedition to confirm earlier research
**Impact and Recognition:**
– Schmidt published eel breeding theory in 1922-1923
– Expedition gained fame through publications and awards
– Discovered new species and made important findings
– Reenactment filmed in October 1922
– Dana II involved in post-expedition activities
**Ship Details:**
– Danish government purchased new research ship, R/V Dana II
– Ship leakage led to repairs in St. Thomas
– Carlsberg Foundations Oceanographical Expedition round the World 1928-30
– Dana named upon Andersen’s insistence
– Andersen preferred Dana over Dania to emphasize national character
**References and Publications:**
– Poulsen’s book ‘Global Marine Science and Carlsberg – The Golden Connections of Johannes Schmidt’
– Wüst’s work on major deep-sea expeditions and research vessels from 1873 to 1960
– Lockyer’s publication in 1921
– Benson and Rehbock’s book ‘Oceanographic History: The Pacific and Beyond’
– Lyons’ book ‘Species, Serpents, Spirits, and Skulls: Science at the Margins in the Victorian Age’
– Key publications like ‘The Dana Expedition of 1928–1930’ provide important findings
**Further Exploration and Historical Context:**
– Information on Danish Dana Expeditions is available for deeper understanding
– Mackay’s work on biological observations from the Dana Expedition Reports
– The Dana Expedition is a significant area for further exploration
– Dana Expedition Reports provide a historical perspective on marine science
– Major deep-sea expeditions from 1873 to 1960 have shaped oceanography
The Dana expeditions were four Danish research expeditions from 1920 to 1930. The first two were undertaken by the Dana I and the third by the Dana II. They were funded in part by the Carlsberg Foundation and led by Johannes Schmidt. The first three expeditions took place from 1920 to 1922 and the fourth and final was from 1928 to 1930. They centered around investigating the breeding of eels. The first two expeditions allowed Schmidt to prove his theory that European eels migrate to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. The final expedition traveled to the Indian Ocean and gathered numerous samples.