Anna Constantia Thynne, Lady John Thynne (née Beresford; 1806–1866) was a British marine zoologist.Stott, Rebecca, ''Theatres of Glass: The woman who brought the sea to the city'', Short Books, 2003. In 1846, she built the first stable and sustained

marine aquarium A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only (FO), fish only with live rock (FOWLR), and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks ofte ...

and maintained corals and sponges in it for over three years. Lady John Thynne’s first love was

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

, but in 1846 she encountered her first Madrepore and became enraptured with something that appeared to be a rock, but was a living being. Wanting to take specimens back to London from Torquay, she fixed the Madrepores to a sponge with a needle and thread, within a stone jar. She then transferred them to a glass bowl, changing the water every other day. Not having enough of a supply to continue to replace the seawater, she then switched to aerating it by transferring the water between vessels in front of an open window, a task usually undertaken by her servant. In 1847 she added marine plants to the bowls, and in two years had created the first balanced marine aquarium. In 1859, she published her first piece "Increase of the Madrepores" in the book "The Annals and Magazine of Natural History" regarding the Madrepores. In this she details her work with the Madrepores and how the first marine aquarium came to be. Thynne’s work inspired

Philip Henry Gosse Philip Henry Gosse FRS (; 6 April 1810 – 23 August 1888), known to his friends as Henry, was an English naturalist and populariser of natural science, an early improver of the seawater aquarium, and a painstaking innovator in the study of ma ...

, who developed the Fish House at London Zoo in 1853. She was married to

Lord John Thynne Rev. Lord John Thynne (7 November 1798 – 9 February 1881) was an English aristocrat and Anglican cleric, who served for 45 years as Deputy Dean of Westminster. Career Lord John was born in 1798, the third son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marques ...

(1798–1881), a

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

and Sub-Dean of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

, and the third son of

Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath KG (25 January 1765 – 27 March 1837), styled Viscount Weymouth from 1789 until 1796, was a British peer. Life Early life Thynne was the eldest son of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, and Lady Elizab ...

. Her correct style was thus "Lady John Thynne".

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British marine biologists Cnidariologists Marine zoologists 1806 births 1866 deaths Women marine biologists Women zoologists English zoologists People from County Waterford 19th-century biologists 19th-century British zoologists 19th-century British women scientists

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...

Wives of younger sons of peers {{UK-zoologist-stub

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