History. The foundation of a ‘British Oceanographical Institute’ was first proposed, at a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the War Cabinet in 1944, by Vice-Admiral Sir John Edgell, K.B.E., C.B., F.R.S., then Hydrographer of the Navy, who expressed the view that Great Britain, in its contribution to research in oceanography, had fallen behind other countries, including many with no comparable traditions of interest in the oceans of the world and their navigation. The Scientific Advisory Committee accordingly suggested to the Royal Society that its National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics should be invited to discuss, through its Oceanography Sub-committee, the general question of the need for and the appropriate constitution of a National Institute of Oceanography, and to present recommendations for the consideration of the Society and eventually of the Government.

The report of the Sub-committee for Oceanography, which was accepted by the Royal Society and referred to the Scientific Advisory Committee, was strongly in favour of the setting up of a National Oceanographical Institute in Great Britain with the purpose of advancing the science of physical oceanography in all its aspects. The Scientific Advisory Committee supported the proposals in the report, but considered that the work of the Institute should embrace both physical and biological oceanography.