Miroslav Zei facts for kids

Miroslav Zei (born July 25, 1914 – died November 2, 2006) was a famous Slovenian biologist. He was a true expert in studying the ocean and its amazing creatures. He focused on marine biology, which is the study of life in the sea. He also specialized in oceanography, which is the science of the ocean itself, and ichthyology, which is the study of fish.

Early Life and Education

Miroslav Zei was born in 1914 in a place called Nabrežina, which is near the city of Trieste. When he was older, he went to the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. From 1932 to 1936, he studied Biology there.

After finishing his studies, he decided to learn even more about the ocean. He went to the Oceanographic Institute in Split, a city in Croatia. He worked there from 1937 to 1948. First, he was an assistant, helping with research. Then, he became a senior scientific researcher.

A Career in Marine Science

In 1948, Miroslav Zei became a professor at the University of Ljubljana. He taught students there until 1962. He shared his knowledge about marine life with many future scientists.

After his time as a professor, he joined a special project. This project was run by the United Nations FAO. It was an oceanographic project, meaning it focused on studying the ocean. He traveled and worked in different countries like Ghana and Tunisia. He also explored the Western African coast, from Morocco all the way to Zaire. He did this important work until 1975.

Later, he became the head of the Marine Biology Station in Piran. This station is part of the National Institute of Biology of the University of Ljubljana. He continued his research and leadership there. Miroslav Zei passed away in 2006 in Drniš, a town in Croatia.

Books and Awards

Miroslav Zei wrote many scientific papers. But he also wrote several books that were easy for everyone to understand. These are called popular science books. They helped many people learn about the ocean and animals.

He won the Levstik Award twice. This is a very important award in Slovenia for books.

• In 1952, he won for his book Iz ribjega sveta, which means The World of Fish.
• In 1957, he won again for Iz življenja sesalcev, meaning The Lives of Mammals.

To honor his amazing work, there is now an award named after him. Since 2010, the Slovenian National Institute of Biology gives out the Miroslav Zei Award. It is given to people who achieve great things in Biology.

Selected Works by Miroslav Zei

Miroslav Zei wrote many books about the ocean and its creatures. Here are a few of his well-known works:

• Življenje Jadrana (Life in the Adriatic), published in 1947.
• Iz ribjega sveta (The World of Fish), published in 1951.
• Morja bogati zakladi (Rich Treasures of the Sea), published in 1956.
• Morski svet (Marine World), published in 1956.
• Iz življenja sesalcev (The Lives of Mammals), published in 1957.
• Človek in ocean (Man and the Ocean), published in 1961.
• Skrivnostna bitja globokega morja (Mysterious Creatures of the Deep Sea), published in 1962.
• Jadranske ribe (Fish of the Adriatic), published in 1984.
• Življenje živali v morju (The Life of Sea Animals), published in 1988.

See also

In Spanish: Miroslav Zei para niños