Thomas Vere Hodgson (1864–1926) was a biologist aboard H.M.S. ''Discovery'' during the ''Discovery'' Expedition of 1901–1904, known by the nickname ''Muggins''. He pursued his interest in

marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and ...

initially in his spare time, but eventually found work at the

Marine Biological Association The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (MBA) is a learned society with a scientific laboratory that undertakes research in marine biology. The organisation was founded in 1884 and has been based in Plymouth since the Citadel Hil ...

in Plymouth. He worked on the collections from the ''Southern Cross'' Expedition, before joining the Discovery expedition as one of its oldest members, at 37. The post of naturalist had previously been offered to

William Speirs Bruce William Speirs Bruce (1 August 1867 – 28 October 1921) was a British Natural history, naturalist, polar region, polar scientist and Oceanography, oceanographer who organised and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE, 1902–0 ...

, who declined, preferring to travel on the

Scottish National Antarctic Expedition The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE), 1902–1904, was organised and led by William Speirs Bruce, a natural scientist and former medical student from the University of Edinburgh. Although overshadowed in terms of prestige by Robe ...

. Hodgson's work on the ''Discovery'' provided the first descriptions of deep sea floor communities in the Antarctic. Hodgson was reappointed curator of the Plymouth Museum on his return and went on to study the collections from the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–1904. He died in May 1926. The National Marine Biological Library at the Marine Biological Association holds some of Hodgson's scientific notes in the MBA Archive Collection. Cape Hodgson, the northernmost point of Black Island in the

Ross Archipelago Ross Archipelago () is a name for that group of islands which, together with the ice shelf between them, forms the eastern and southern boundaries of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. The most northerly is Beaufort Island, then comes Ross Island, the ...

is named after Thomas Hodgson. Hodgson was a fellow of the Anthropological Institute. The well-known World War Two diarist Vere Hodgson was his niece and was named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodgson, Thomas Vere Scientists from Birmingham, West Midlands English explorers British polar explorers English marine biologists 1864 births 1926 deaths