Anton Dohrn

Felix Anton Dohrn, ( September 29, 1840 - September 26, 1909) was a prominent Darwinist, and the founder and first director of the Stazione Zoologica, Naples, Italy.,

Development of "marine stations"

In Messina, Dohrn and Micloucho-Maclay conceived a plan to cover the globe with a network of zoological research stations, analogous to railway stations, where scientists could stop, collect material, make observations and conduct experiments, before moving on to the next station.

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Dohrn realised how useful it would be for scientists to arrive at a location and find a ready to use laboratory. Dohrn rented two rooms for the "Stazione Zoologica di Messina", but quickly realized the technical difficulties of studying marine life without a permanent structure and support facilities, such as trained personnel and a library.

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