Antarctica (4), Adelaide Island, Stonehouse Bay

Bernard Stonehouse (1 May 1926 – 12 November 2014) was a British scientist who specialised in

animal behaviour Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions, and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily adaptive trait. Behaviourism as a term also describes the scientific and objective ...

, polar research and

popular science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

. In 1953 he received the

Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It ...

Early life and military service

Stonehouse was born in

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

on 1 May 1926. He attended

Hull Grammar School Hull Grammar School was a secondary school in Hull, England, founded around 1330 and endowed in 1479 by the prelate John Alcock. In 1988, as part of a restructure by the Local Education Authority, the site was renamed William Gee School. Meanwh ...

before joining the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

in 1944, and was seconded as a naval pilot to the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (later renamed the

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on ...

) from 1946 to 1950.

Further education and career

After returning to Britain in 1950, Stonehouse studied zoology and geology at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, and then earned his

D.Phil. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

from Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology and

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

, which involved spending 18 months studying

emperor penguin The emperor penguin (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in length and weighing from . Feathers of t ...

s on

South Georgia South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east� ...

. He led the

British Ornithologists' Union The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) aims to encourage the study of birds ("ornithology") and around the world, in order to understand their biology and to aid their conservation. The BOU was founded in 1858 by Professor Alfred Newton, Henr ...

's centenary expedition to

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of ...

between 1957 and 1959. From 1960 to 1968, Stonehouse worked at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

(

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand) and later appointments saw him working at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thr ...

, the

University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...

, and, as editor of the ''Polar Record'', at the

Scott Polar Research Institute The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) is a centre for research into the polar regions and glaciology worldwide. It is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge, located on Lensfield Road in the south ...

(part of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

). He retired as editor in 1992 but continued as a senior associate, forming the institute's Polar Ecology and Management Group, and promoting Antarctic tourism.

Personal life

Stonehouse married Sally Clacey in 1955; they had two daughters and a son. He died on 12 November 2014.

Legacy

He is commemorated in the names of

Stonehouse Bay Stonehouse Bay () is a bay in Antarctica on the west side of Laubeuf Fjord, indenting the east coast of Adelaide Island between Hunt Peak and Sighing Peak. The bay is 5 nautical miles (9 km) wide. It was first sighted and surveyed in Janua ...

and

Mount Stonehouse Mount Stonehouse () is a peak, 2,900 m, standing 3.5 nautical miles (6 km) southwest of Mount Falla in Queen Alexandra Range. Named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) for Bernard Stonehouse Be ...

Selected publications

*''Animals of the Arctic: The Ecology of the Far North'' (1971) *''Young Animals: The Search for Independent Life'' (1973) *''Saving the Animals: The World Wildlife Fund Book of Conservation'' (1981) *''The Last Continent: Discovering Antarctica'' (2000) *''The Truth about Animal Intelligence'' (2002) *''The Truth about Animal Senses'' (2002)

References

External links

'The Greenlanders: Arctic whaleships and whalers'
– a talk given for

Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England. It does not enroll students or award degrees. It was founded in 1596 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, and hosts ove ...

by Dr Bernard Stonehouse on 3 October 2011 at the

Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall Museum (fou ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Stonehouse, Bernard 1926 births 2014 deaths Academics of the University of Bradford Academics of the University of Cambridge Animal cognition writers Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Alumni of University College London English science writers English zoologists People of the Scott Polar Research Institute University of British Columbia faculty University of Canterbury faculty