Wladimir Besnard
Wladimir Besnard was a French biologist and Brazilian oceanographer, and is considered to be the father of Brazilian oceanography.
He was born in the Russian Empire of French parents.
As a biologist he is credited with the discovery of the skeleton of the Asselar man in 1927 .
An oceanographic ship, some undersea features, and a street in São Paulo are named in his honor.Oceanographic ship
During 1967-2008 Brazil operated Professor W. Besnard, its only oceanographic vessel at that time. The ship was launched on August 18, 1966 from the shipyard Mjellem & Karlsen, Norway, and belonged to the Institute of Oceanography of the University of São Paulo. In 1988 the ship suffered damage from a fire. In 2012 a new ship, Alpha Crucis, has replaced the Professor W. Besnard.
