Maurice Yonge facts for kids

Sir Charles Maurice Yonge (born December 9, 1899 – died March 17, 1986) was a famous English marine zoologist. This means he was a scientist who studied animals living in the ocean. He was known for his important research on sea creatures, especially those found in coral reefs.

Early Life and Education

Charles Maurice Yonge was born in 1899 near Wakefield in Yorkshire, England. His father was the headmaster of Silcoates School, which is where Charles also went to school.

When he was 17, Yonge joined the Army Training Corps during World War I. After the war, he first studied history at the University of Oxford. But he soon changed his mind and moved to the University of Edinburgh in 1919. There, he studied forestry and then zoology, which is the study of animals. While at Edinburgh, he also worked as an assistant at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth.

Research and Discoveries

After finishing his first degree in 1922, Yonge continued his studies. He earned a PhD by researching how marine invertebrates (animals without backbones, like jellyfish or clams) digest their food. In 1927, he received another degree, a D.Sc., for his work on oysters.

Later in 1927, Yonge moved to Cambridge. He was then invited to lead a big science trip called the Great Barrier Reef Expedition. From 1928 to 1929, Yonge, his wife, and other scientists spent a whole year off the coast of Queensland, Australia. They studied the amazing Great Barrier Reef, especially a part called Low Isles Reef. Their discoveries were shared in a book called A year on the Great Barrier Reef and other scientific papers.

Career and Later Years

In 1933, Yonge became a Professor of Zoology at the University of Bristol. Then, in 1944, he became a top professor at the University of Glasgow.

Yonge loved the Great Barrier Reef and returned to Australia many times. In 1967, he went back to check on the reef with another scientist, Thomas Goreau. He also supported other expeditions to the reef. In 1975, he helped open a new marine research station on Lizard Island in Australia. He and his second wife, Phyllis, even visited Low Isles Reef again in 1978.

Sir Charles Maurice Yonge passed away in Edinburgh on March 17, 1986.

Recognition and Awards

Sir Charles Maurice Yonge received many honors for his important work.

• In 1945, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He later served as the President of this society from 1970 to 1973.
• In 1946, he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very prestigious science group.
• He won the Darwin Medal in 1968. This award is given for major advances in biology.
• Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight in 1967, so he became known as Sir Charles Maurice Yonge.
• He also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1971.

Family Life

In 1927, Yonge married Dr. Martha "Mattie" Lennox. She was a fellow student he met in Edinburgh. They had two children, Elspeth and Robin. Mattie passed away in 1945.

In 1954, Yonge married his second wife, Phyllis Fraser. They had a son named Christopher.

Legacy

Sir Charles Maurice Yonge left a lasting impact on marine science.

• His huge collection of marine biology books was sold to the Australian Institute of Marine Science in 1982. These books are now kept at James Cook University Library.
• A coral reef off the northern coast of Queensland, Australia, was named after him.
• In 2022, a sculpture of Sir Maurice Yonge was created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. It is part of the Museum of Underwater Art's "Ocean Sentinels" exhibition.