Wladimir Besnard

Wladimir Besnard was a French biologist and Brazilian oceanographer, and is considered to be the father of Brazilian oceanography.
He was born in the Russian Empire of French parents.
As a biologist he is credited with the discovery of the skeleton of the Asselar man in 1927 .
An oceanographic ship, some undersea features, and a street in São Paulo are named in his honor.

Oceanographic ship

During 1967–2008 Brazil operated Professor W. Besnard, its only oceanographic vessel at that time. The ship was launched on August 18, 1966, from the shipyard Mjellem & Karlsen, Norway, and belonged to the Institute of Oceanography of the University of São Paulo. In 1988 the ship suffered damage from a fire. In 2012 a new ship, Alpha Crucis, has replaced the Professor W. Besnard.