Arcturus Expedition 1925-- Ichthyologist Assistant--Elizabeth Trotter

HEADQUARTERS 

Santa Cruz Flotsam 

Big Sur Bureau 

08 June 2025 

 To. Media TBA 

 Fm. Hayes, Marine Correspondent 

 Subj. Arcturus Expedition 1925--Ichthyologist Assistant--Elizabeth Trotter

 Encl. (1) submitted herewith.

PART I. ORGANIZATIONAL DATA 

1.   Elizabeth S. Trotter and the 1925 Arcturus Expedition 

        a.  Background and Role Elizabeth S. Trotter (1889–1977) was a fisheries scientist and an employee of the New York Zoological Society's Department of Tropical Research. 

        b.  On the 1925 Arcturus Expedition, she served as assistant to W.K. Gregory, focusing on vertebrate studies, ichthyology, and fish locomotion research. 

        c.  She was known on board as "Betty" and was one of six professional women who made up about a third of the scientific staff—a groundbreaking inclusion at a time when women were rarely seen on scientific research vessels. 

2.   Contributions and Achievements 

        a.   Trotter's scientific responsibilities included assisting with vertebrate studies, particularly fish, and contributing to the expedition’s ichthyological research. She played a key role in the collection and study of marine specimens, especially during the detailed investigations in the Sargasso Sea and other locations. 

        b.   Beyond her scientific work, Trotter also contributed to the expedition’s collaborative and educational atmosphere, for example, teaching fellow crew member Ruth Rose how to fish. 

        c.   Her work, along with that of her female colleagues, helped challenge gender norms in science and inspired public interest in both marine research and the role of women in fieldwork. 

3.   Legacy 

        a.  The 1925 Arcturus Expedition, led by William Beebe, was notable for its multidisciplinary approach, innovative sampling techniques, and the inclusion of women scientists and artists. Trotter's participation was emblematic of this progressive spirit. 

        b.  The expedition’s findings were widely disseminated in both scientific literature and popular accounts, helping to popularize oceanography and field ecology. 

        c.  Trotter herself later wrote articles and books and served as an assistant to author Booth Tarkington.

PART II. PUBLISHED ACCOUNTS

1.  The role of Miss Trotter in the expedition can be found in news articles published both prior to and related to the voyage. The first article was uncovered in The Philadelphia Inquirer just as the ship departed New York on 10 February 1925 (page 6b).

SOCIETY GIRL OFF FOR SARGASSO SEA

Miss Elizabeth Trotter, of Chestnut Hill, Member of Scientific Expedition

Party Sent Out by New York Zoological Society Headed by Dr. William Beebe

From the Inquirer Bureau 

      NEW YORK, Feb. 10. The single stack steamer Arcturus, originally built for work in ice jammed waters. moved gently away from the Tebo Yacht Basin on the Brooklyn waterfront today and began a 13,000 mile journey whose main objective is the ever baffling Sargasso Sea. 

     'On the top deck of the vessel, which flies the flag of the New York Z00logical Society, Dr. William Beebe, naturalist, explorer and chief of the expedition. waved his hand to a host of friends on shore. Next to him stood Dr. Henry Fairchild Osborne, director of the American Museum of Natural History. who will remain aboard until the ship touches Norfolk. Va. 

     Then there was Miss Elizabeth Trotter, of "Cleve Gate," Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. 

Miss Trotter Science Devotee 

     Miss Trotter. known to her friends as "Betty." joined the expedition because of her love for things scientific. So at 2 P. M. she fared forth with the others in the special yacht Arcturus, to explore the "haven of lost ships." For six months it will literally be a case of "water, water everywhere" for Miss Trotter, and not a drop of social gayety to break the monotony.  

     She appeared to realize this as she gazed about on oil cloth-covered cabin tables, tar-smelling rope coils, grease-dozing winches, and fishy-odored tarpaulins. Her auburn hair shining in contrast to a sailor costume. Betty trotter hardly looked a part of the expedition. 

     "Like it? We-e-ell. I guess I will." she said. "It ought to be quite a hit of fun. I'm going to assist Dr. W. Gregory, the naturalist and writer, you know.'' 

     "You'll be gone a long time." it was suggested. 

     "Oh. well—I know this isn't going to be like a liner—if I don't like it, I can get off the boat at the end of three months." 

     "How come?"  

Can Leave at Panama Canal 

     "You see," she answered, "the expedition goes from the Sargasso Sea through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean. I can leave it at the locks and come home if I want to." A pause followed, and she stepped to the cabin door and peeped inside again. 

     "I think perhaps I shall," she said, and went inside. 

     In addition to those before are named are Dr. Wm. K. Gregory of Columbia University, a noted scientist; Mrs. C. J. Fish. of Wood's Hole and Pittsburgh' University; Miss Lynn Seagle, chemical biologist; Dwight Franklin, sculptor, who will make casts of the fish; Isabel Cooper, scientific artist; Miss Ruth Rose, Serge Chetyrkin, John Tee-Van, William Marion, Dr. Cady and Jay Pierson. Captain J. S. Howes is commanding. 

2.  Several months later, The Philadelphia Inquirer published another article (07 July 1925, page 4c) after the return of the Arcturus. Miss Trotter apparently didn't option out at the Canal and went on to report what she found at the Galapagos Islands.

SOCIETY GIRL WALKS ON BOTTOM OF SEA

Visits Shark-Infested Ocean Land in Diving Helmet and Bathing Suit

While Watching Volcano in Action She Sees Sea Buckle and Boil 

     After watching strange fish in the very bottom of the sea and seeing the surface of the ocean buckle and boil as the result of a volcano. Miss Elizabeth Trotter looks upon the vacation she is about to spend at Kennebunkport, Me., as a somewhat tame and placid experience. 

     This intrepid young society girl, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Trotter, "Cleve Gate," Chestnut Hill, was one of the four women included in Dr. William Beebe's expedition to the Sargossa (sp)  Sea and tropical Pacific. She returned at the end of last week. 

     The biggest thrills of the three month cruise, Miss Trotter explained, were in sinking to the bottom of the sea in a swimming suit and diving helmet to watch strange fish weave their way about in the water. Ordinarily it was only the men of the expedition who did this, because of danger from sharks. 

     "But it seemed such fun." Miss Trotter said, "that I tried it myself. We were careful to guard against sharks, sinking in spots where the water was shallow. It was fun at the bottom, but my, what work for the fellow in the boat pumping air into the helmet." 

Sargasso Sea Loses Danger 

     The Sargasso Sea, about which so many lurid tales of lost ships were woven by the sea dogs of other generations, has lost its wicked charm, Miss, Trotter explained, because steam driven vessels can plow through the brackish still waters regardless of breeze. 

     But things weren't so calm when the explorers found themselves in the Pacific Ocean off the northern coast of South America. They saw Mt. Williams very much in action. Lava was spurning up into the air, falling back on the rock like great rivers of molasses, dropping finally into the ocean amid hissing and boiling steam. Shortage of coal forced the Beebe party to turn back for more fuel, so they did not get a close up in little boats of this volcano. 

     But those in search of "thrills" had luck, because just as they were leaving. the ocean itself heaved tip into a small volcano of its own, hurling rocks and boiling water high into the air. 

     As for sea monsters. there are no such things, Miss Trotter said, but she added that the scientist found plenty varietie (sp) of sea life to keep them pawing for hours over great masses of stuff pulled in by nets.

PART III. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1.  BROTULID FISHES* FROM THE ARCTURUS OCEANOGRAPHIC EXPEDITION  By Elizabeth S. Trotter

Assistant in Ichthyology, Department of Tropical Research

Brotulid fishes from the Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition : Elizabeth S Trotter : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

2. Photograph of Elizabeth Trotter (right) at the opening of the Bryn Mawr Horse Show. Caption. Society turned out in force yesterday at the Bryn Mawr Horse Show.

(The Philadelphia Inquirer, 03 October 1924, page 2.) 

     This was three months before she sailed off on the Arcturus into the Sargasso Sea. Curiously, there isn't much about the young lady before or after her adventure. Several online historical articles of Miss Trotter all have the generic photographs preserved in the archives of the New York Zoological Society's Department of Zoological Research (DTR), now named the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). 

     For such an imposing and important person in the Philadelphia "society" circle, it is a task to uncover what little is known about her before and after, and even during the voyage. Synthetic intelligence inquiries suggest she went on to do more writing, but it's the voyage research where the effort is centered.

3. GHOSTLY COINCIDENCE

     Whether or not one personally credits the direct intervention of spirits of the departed in our affairs, it is no longer possible to ignore the belief or ridicule it out of existence, says Elizabeth Stanley Trotter in The Forum.

(The Scranton Times, 09 October 1924, page 17)

4. Reference to Miss Trotter in Booth Tarkington papers.

        a.  Box-folder 1:12

n.d. Original Untitled Manuscript, with revision, by Elizabeth Trotter, with the text beginning, "Mr. Tarkington's nurses say that they go in fear - fear lest other nurses, rendered savage by envy, will have their lives. For Mr. Tarkington's popularity as a patient, like his popularity in other lives, is extreme. As Mr. Tarkington's amanuensis, and part-time hospital reader-aloud of detective stories, I am in a most justly exalted position, and I cannot avoid suspecting that I was asked to write this article in order that the entire nursing staff of Johns Hopkins hospital might feel avenged."

AMs, 5 pages on 5 leaves

A Guide to the Booth Tarkington Papers Tarkington, Booth, Papers 7416-t

        b.  a·man·u·en·sis  /əˌmanyo͝oˈensəs/.  A literary or artistic assistant, or one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.

        c.  The "Guide" lists numerous references to Miss Trotter as possible dictation by Tarkington in her handwriting.

        d. These were long after her Arcturus adventure well into the 1930s-40s.

5.  Image above from The Maine Memory Network: "Booth Tarkington dictating a story to Elizabeth Trotter, 1938" 

Booth Tarkington dictating a story to Elizabeth Trotter, 1938 - Maine Memory Network

6. In Robert Gottleib's "The Rise and Fall of Booth Tarkington," Betty Trotter is introduced while the author-playwright went briefly blind.

        a.  "During that time, he was totally blind for five months. But even the calamity of blindness did not keep him from writing—the only thing he not only knew how to do but needed to do. He had found the ideal secretary in a close friend, Betty Trotter, and he dictated at least eight hundred words a day to her, as well as dealing through her with his always teeming correspondence. Betty became part of the Tarkington household—already a household of women."

The Rise and Fall of Booth Tarkington | The New Yorker

7.  As curious from the images as his secretary and from the Maine Memory files, Elizabeth is seen writing and mentioned as her notes, she did not use a typewriter. One might draw a conclusion that she also had handwritten notes during the expedition 20 years earlier related to her work with W. Gregory on board the ship.

8. Synthetic intelligence inquiries. Perplexity AI

9. Images with captions and credits included in text.

10. Report prepared by JCL for Santa Cruz Flotsam, Monsoon Beach.

End of Report.

Arcturus Expedition 1925-- Biochemist--Lillian Segal

HEADQUARTERS

Santa Cruz Flotsam 

Big Sur Bureau 

06 June 2025 

To. Media TBA 

Fm. Hayes, Marine Correspondent 

Subj. Arcturus Expedition 1925-- Biochemist--Lillian Segal

 Encl. (1) submitted herewith.

PART I. ORGANIZATIONAL DATA 

1.   Lillian Segal’s Role and Achievements on the 1925 Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition Role on the Expedition 

        a.   Lillian Segal was a biological chemist and bacteriologist on William Beebe’s 1925 Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition, officially holding the title "Associate in charge of special problems". 

        b.   Her primary scientific responsibility was to investigate how deep-sea fish produce light—specifically, the phenomenon of bioluminescence. 

2.   Scientific Achievements 

        a.   Segal attempted to analyze the light produced by deep-sea fish using a spectroscope, but the light emitted was too faint for this method to be effective. To overcome the technical challenges, she developed her own chemical apparatus aboard the ship, enabling her to collect fluids from the fish for analysis. 

        b.   She conducted experiments both on live and dead fish, noting that bioluminescence ceased immediately upon the death of the fish, which made her research particularly difficult. 

        c.  She explored ways to stimulate light production in dead specimens, such as increasing oxygen concentrations, to facilitate further study. Despite the technical hurdles, her pioneering work contributed to the understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms behind bioluminescence in marine life. 

3.   Recognition and Legacy 

        a.   Segal was one of six women scientists on the expedition, a notable achievement at a time when female participation in field science was rare and often controversial. 

        b.   William Beebe, the expedition leader, publicly credited Segal and the other women for the expedition’s scientific success, emphasizing the value of their expertise. 

        c.   The results of the Arcturus expedition, including Segal’s contributions, were later published and acknowledged by other leading scientists of the era. 

        d.   Segal’s work on the expedition helped lay groundwork for future research in marine biochemistry and the study of bioluminescence, contributing to the broader legacy of women in oceanographic science.

PART II. PUBLISHED ACCOUNTS

1.  Two months before the Arcturus sailed for the Sargasso Sea, Lillian Segal reviewed C.W. Saleeby's book Sunlight and Health, (G. P. Putnam's Sons, NY), it was published in The New Republic on 24 December 1924 (pages 124-125). The following is the review.

Heliotherapy 

     SUNLIGHT has been known to be bactericidal since the days of Pasteur. Its efficacy in non-bacterial diseases such as rickets, demonstrated by Hess and others at Columbia University, reveals biochemical possibilities of unsuspected magnitude. Dr. Saleeby has made a careful study of the various institutions which have incorporated heliotherapy into their credo, particularly those dealing with the cure of tuberculosis. He describes in glowing terms the work of Dr. Rollier at Leysin, Switzerland. Here the knife has been banished and tuberculous patients are cured by gradual and increasing exposure to the light of the sun. Rollier's explanation is that the violet and ultra violet rays of the sun are the most valuable and he offers as proof of the fact that those patients whose skin develops a bronze pigment shortly after exposure derive the greatest benefit from the treatment. It is true that pigmentation of the skin is a response to the violet and the ultra violet rays but if the general body response depended on these alone the treatment would be most valuable at very high altitudes since these rays tend to diminish as they descend to earth. In England and France, however, spectacular results have been obtained at sea level art these have been ascribed to sea bathing in sunlight by certain investigators. Indeed there are as many explanations as there are institutions. On one point all investigators leave agreed: that it is the sun's light and not the sun's heat that is curative. The results of rash exposure to the sun's heat in a mistaken eagerness to hasten the cure have been drastic. Saleeby reiterates the warning against haste and against unintelligent exploitation of the idea. "Hasten Slowly" is the slogan. In La Cure de Soleil, Rollier gives full detail of the treatment, This has been translated into English with the title Heliotherapy. 

     Although the greater part of Dr. Saleeby's book is devoted to the use of sunlight in pathological cases, his first interest is in hygiene. One need only read his dismal description of smoke befogged London to understand his zeal. However, we, accustomed to turn the other cheek to our European visitors, may be a bit abashed by his enthusiasm for American progress. If his adjectives embarrass us the facts themselves cannot but be gratifying. Our "blue sky" laws have made our cities, with the exception of a few like Chicago and Pittsburgh, smokeless. Our mortality from tuberculosis has been cut down one-half in the period 1905-1919 according to a statement by Dr. Royal Copeland. 

     Milk is at once an excellent food for mankind and for microorganisms. It can therefore lead either to health or to disease depending upon its bacterial content. The sanitary regulations of New York arc such that of an examination of twenty-eight milks fed to mothers attending Infant Welfare Centres in London, only one would have been permitted to be sold in New York. We still have our sunless tenements and our undernourished children: this statistical response to sanitary regulations be an encouraging stimulus to further improvement. Dr. Saleeby's pictures of schools in the sunshine, sunlight dairies, and a Canadian fox-farm governed by sweetness and light stress the desirability of continuing until all possibilities of improvement have become realized. 

                                                                                        LILLIAN SEGAL KOPELOFF

Caption. Women members of party examine albatross. L. to r. above are shown Mrs. Charles J. Fish, biologist; Ruth Rose, historian; Mrs. John Tee Van, artist; Lillian Segal, chemist; and Isabel Cooper, artist. (NEWS photo) New York Daily News, 31 July 1925, page 16)

     Lillian Segal also made reports related to the Arcturus voyage in an effort to determine how fish possessed artificial light capability in the depths of the ocean.

2.   The following report was widely distributed after the Arcturus had docked back in the United States., found in The Daily Journal (Meriden, CT) 01 August 1925, page 5)

Arcturus Arrives Home with Marvels of the Sea (excerpt) 

LIGHTED BY BACTERIA 

     Dr. Lillian Segal, a chemist, went along on the trip for the specific purpose of studying the methods by which the light was produced—whether the fish had its own chemical or physical plant for producing light, or whether the fish entertain. colonies of light giving bacteria regular cultures. Some fish are known to produce their light by the kindness of microorganisms like those which cause phosphorescence of dead mackerel and other fish. Some fish have developed com-plicated modifications of their own structure in which they rear cultures of luminous bacteria in regular patterns controlled by curtains like eyelids, so that they turn the light of their trained germs on and off it will. The deep sea life, how-ever, was found to produce its own candlepower by direct methods. One proof of this was that the light went out shortly after the fish died. Bacteria would still luminesce.  

      Dr. Segal said she believed that progress had been made in demonstrating the workings of the fish lights. 

     "We think we have learned some things about it," she said. "But we are not ready to announce them. There is still a good deal of work to be done on this. We could not use the spectroscope successfully. Our spectroscope was not strong enough to analyze such feeble lights. We have been trying to produce the lights again in the dead fish by subjecting them to concentrations of oxygen, but we haven't been able to stimulate the lights of any of the dead fish as yet." 

 PART IV. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1.  Table One: Lillian Segal’s Role and Achievements

Aspect	Details
Role	Biological chemist; Associate in charge of special problems
Main Focus	Investigating bioluminescence in deep-sea fish
Key Achievements	Developed chemical apparatus; attempted spectroscopic analysis; advanced bioluminescence research
Challenges	Dim light from fish; bioluminescence ceased after death; technical limitations
Legacy	Pioneering female scientist; acknowledged by peers; contributed to marine biochemistry

2.  Lillian Segal’s participation in the Arcturus expedition stands as an early and influential example of women’s contributions to oceanographic research, particularly in the field of marine biochemistry and the study of bioluminescence.

3.  Synthetic intelligence inquiries. Perplexity AI

4. Image 001, 002: Static Theory Discounted; Last Word March 29, New York Daily News, 11 April 1925, page 2.

5. Report prepared by 

James C. L., for Santa Cruz Flotsam, Monsoon Beach.

The Arcturus, a Modern Ark, Home with Beebe in Noah Role

Caption. 

     Students of science and others heartily welcomed return of Arcturus after six months' exploration trip at pier, foot of West 79th st. (NEWS photo)

New York Daily News, 31 July 1925, page 16.

(Image below: The Women Who Explored the Sargasso Sea, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 03 August 1925, page 30)

End of Report

Arcturus Expedition 1925--Underwater Painting--Miss Isabel Cooper

     

HEADQUARTERS

Santa Cruz Flotsam

Big Sur Bureau

01 June 2025

To. Media TBA

Fm. Hayes, Marine Correspondent

Subj.  Arcturus Expedition 1925--Underwater Painting--Miss Isabel Cooper

Encl. (1) submitted herewith.

PART I. ORGANIZATIONAL DATA 

1.   Isabel Cooper played a pivotal role as the scientific artist on the 1925 Arcturus oceanographic expedition. 

        a.  Tasked with creating detailed illustrations of marine life and expedition activities, she produced over one hundred artworks during the voyage, which were essential for documenting the research and for later publications such as William Beebe’s The Arcturus Adventure. 

        b.   Cooper’s work included painting live animals and fish, often under challenging conditions—sometimes even painting underwater while using a diving bell. Her illustrations helped bring the expedition’s discoveries to a broader public and were featured in scientific papers, books, and art exhibitions. 

        c.   Her participation as a professional woman on the expedition was notable at a time when female scientists and artists on research vessels were rare, and her presence contributed to the expedition’s public profile and scientific legacy. Cooper’s official role was listed as “Scientific Artist,” and her work was integral to the visual and scientific documentation of the expedition.

PART II. PUBLISHED ACCOUNT

1. The following is an account written by Miss Cooper for The Daily NonPareil (Davenport, Iowa) published on 23 October 1925, page 5. 

MADE A STUDY OF DEEP SEA FISH

Woman Painter Goes Undersea to View Her Subjects

LIFE UNDER THE WATER

Miss Isabel Cooper, Who Accompanied Expedition to Sargasso Sea, Tells of What She Saw in Ocean's Depth

     When, on Feb. 10, the ship Arcturus, fully equipped as a floating laboratory for the study of sea life, left New York for the Sargasso Sea, one of the members of the William Beebe scientific expedition aboard her was Miss Isabel Cooper, artist, commissioned to paint the pictures of the queer fish they might find. During the entire trip, Miss Cooper was kept busy transfering to paper the brilliant colors and strange shapes of the expedition's many finds. Occasionally she went down in a diving helmet to see for herself the weird world which was the natural setting of her subjects. The following article was written by Miss Cooper. It is reprinted from the New York World. 

     Life aboard the Arcturus resolved around fish. 

     Meal times were not as important as the hours set for the nets to come in. The grinding of the winches that dragged the giant dredges and the sound of block and tackle became as familiar to our ears all the roar of cities. The only real worry or excitement, for days at a time, was as to whether the nets made the descent and ascent safely and came up loaded with specimens, or would get caught on submarine volcanoes or mountain peaks and ripped apart, or chewed up by unspeakable monsters of the deeps. 

     Great efforts were made to have the laboratories cleared for action as each new haul came up, as there were sure to be unknown and valuable creatures each time. Just as new hunting grounds in tropical jungles are fascinating for the possibilities they hold of rare animals, hitherto unimagined observations, so was each new section of the depths, that slowly sifted through our trawls or dredge nets, of most absorbing interest. 

     We arose early, in order to get the endless cables of our apparatus started out.

The Event of the Day. 

     And then all through the day, no matter what our preoccupation might be, we always knew when the loads of mysteries were due. 

     Great interest on the part of the entire ship's company was displayed when they did finally appear, galley force and coal passers even hanging over the rail to watch the dredge or other trawls as they were dragged up over the side of the ship, dripping with water and octopus tentacles and torn starfish, or shiny with the carcases of jelly fish, and, usually, the small end filled with the most extraordinary fish chowder imaginable. 

     Anything in it from a skates' egg to strange ferry boats of the deep, fish with lights fore and aft, and along each side in absurd rows, width would appear to a shrimp's eye like the lights of the bulky monsters that plow nightly back and forth across our bays and rivers. 

     Sometimes enormous crabs would appear, or sea cucumbers, or large fishlike creatures -with silver lights, or deep sea sponges. 

An Extraordinary Experience. 

     This voyage of the Arcturus was a most extraordinary experience. It was interesting. indeed, to leave civilization behind and sail, for month after month, far beyond accustomed ship lanes in quest of fish of all kinds: fish of the surface and of the depths, and those lesser and greater creatures who are respectively their enemies and their prey. 

     We were able to descend a few feet in a diving helmet and watch fish and crabs and coral reef inhabitants as they swam about in shallow sunlit waters. 

      It is surprisingly simple and easy to go down twenty or thirty feet, at least with the type of helmet which we used on the Arcturus expedition. It is a large metal affair, heavily weighted and supplied with enough air to keep the water inside just below your chin by means of the hose attached to a pump at the surface. This device is mechanilly fool-proof and very easy to wear and to manage. 

     In spite of this, however, I felt a most absurd and unreasonable kind of fear at the idea of sinking below the surface of the water, with no other protection against drowning than this fantastic arrangement. 

     I went down first in a small pool of still water, several feet back from the surf, along the allure of Darwin bay. There were great towering crags of lava all around, red and black, and scattered with cactus. The gannets and frigate-birds kept flying overhead in great curiosity, trying to see what was going on. 

     I took along a palette and brushes and an oiled panel, hoping I would be able to make a rough sketch at least of the general appearance of the rocks below water, if not of the fish as they glided about my face. But I soon found that this was not practicable at all. It is hard enough to manage yourself under water without trying to do anything really intelligent with your hands. It is almost impossible to move with quickness and precision against the pressure of the water. And my painting gear proved very refractory indeed. 

      As far as I can see there would be no need to sketch below the surface. The sights down there are so very remarkable and beautiful that you would probably never forget them anyway, and you would certainly remember them long enough to work from memory at a reasonable desk at home instead of far down in a strange element and under the most terrific difficulties. 

     It is surprisingly bright and illuminated, in broad daylight, at the depths to which we descended. And the submarine scenes are as beautiful as anything in the world. Brilliantly colored rocks, with bright starfish and sea-flowers or beautifully formed coral, interspersed with sea-fans and waving sea-weeds-all making a background for angelflsh-and moonfish and a million outlandish creatures of tropical waters.

PART III. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. Image. The headline in The Daily Pareil of the article featuring Miss Cooper's report.

2.  Synthetic Intelligence Inquiries. Perplexity AI.

3. Lead Image. Charles Samuels, Girl Artist Penetrates Jungle and Goes Under Sea, Brooklyn Eagle, 18 October 1925, page 8-9.

"A Lesson in Manners." 

The Kansas City Star Magazine, 

27 September 1925,

page 3

4. Report prepared by Alpha Hotel, SC Flotsam (c) 2025.

GAUDY FISH That Swim In GALAPAGOS WATERS

By Saul Poliak

Buffalo Courier

29 November 1925, page 35.

end of report, unclassified.

Arcturus 1925-- Oceanographic Expedition--Command Chronology.

 

Arcturus 1925-- Oceanographic Expedition--Command Chronology.

HEADQUARTERS

Calif. Bear Dispatch 

Oceanographic Div. 

A. Hayes, Marine Correspondent

01 June 2025

To. Media TBA

Fm. Capitola Bureau 95010

Subj. Arcturus 1925-- Oceanographic Expedition--Command Chronology.

Encl. (1) submitted herewith.

PART I. ORGANIZATIONAL DATA

William Beebe Arcturus Expedition (1925): Crew & Scientists Matrix Name Qualifications / Background Responsibilities on Expedition Achievements During Voyage 

William Beebe, Zoologist.

Director, Dept. of Tropical Research (NYZS) Expedition Leader; Scientific Direction; Underwater observations Led first NYZS oceanographic expedition; advanced marine fieldwork; co-authored The Arcturus Adventure; popularized marine exploration. 

Ruth Rose, Writer, Historian.

Historian; Documented daily activities; Co-author Co-wrote The Arcturus Adventure; chronicled expedition in popular and scientific formats. 

Isabel Cooper, Scientific Artist.

DTR staff artist (1917–1925) Scientific Illustration; Underwater painting experiments Completed 100+ illustrations; painted underwater with helmet; contributed to Beebe’s books and exhibited at Corcoran Gallery. 

Helen Tee-Van, Scientific Artist.

DTR staff artist (40 years) Scientific Illustration; Rapid field sketches Produced detailed color illustrations; later contributed to major encyclopedias and authored books. 

Marie Poland Fish, Marine Biologist.

Oceanographer (US Bureau of Fisheries) Larval fish research; Egg identification; Bioacoustics First to identify American eel eggs and describe development; later founded Narragansett Marine Lab; awarded Navy Distinguished Service Medal. 

Elizabeth S. Trotter, Fisheries Scientist.

Assistant to W.K. Gregory Assistant in vertebrate study; Ichthyology; Fish locomotion studies Advanced fish locomotion studies; contributed to vertebrate research. 

Lillian Segal, Biological Chemist.

Bacteriologist Studied bioluminescence in deep-sea fish; Developed chemical apparatus Developed apparatus for collecting deep-sea fish fluids; advanced understanding of bioluminescence. 

Charles J. Fish

Marine Biologist, USBF Associate in diatoms & crustacea; Fish specialist Specialized in vertebrates and larval fish; contributed to ichthyology research. John Tee-Van General Assistant Fieldwork; Specimen collection and processing Supported scientific and logistical operations on board. 

William H. Merriam, Fieldwork Assistant.

Assistant in field work; Specimen collection Assisted with specimen collection and preservation. 

Dwight Franklin, Scientific Artist.

Model Maker Illustration; Model making of specimens Created plaster/clay models; assisted with scientific illustration. Don Dickerman Assistant Artist Artistic documentation Supported illustration and visual documentation. 

E.B. Schoedsack, Assistant in Photography/Cinematography. 

Photography and film documentation Documented the expedition visually; later became noted filmmaker. 

Jay F.W. Pierson, Assistant in Microplankton. 

Microplankton studies Collected and analyzed microplankton samples. 

Serge Chetyrkin, Preparateur. 

Preparation of biological specimens Prepared specimens for study and preservation. 

D.W. Cady, Surgeon.

Medical support Provided medical care to crew and scientists. 

PART II. NARRATIVE SUMMARY

Matrix: 1925 William Beebe Arcturus Expedition Locations vs. Terrain, Weather, Discoveries, and Notable Geographic Features Location Terrain/Environment Weather/Sea Conditions Key Discoveries & Scientific Activities Notable Geographic Features 

New York City

Urban coastal port Winter, cold, variable Departure point; preparation and loading of scientific equipment Hudson Canyon (nearby submarine canyon) 

Sargasso Sea

Open ocean, floating sargassum Calm, warm, clear Study of sargassum ecosystem; collection of marine life in sargassum weed Sargasso Sea (unique floating ecosystem) 

Cocos Island

Volcanic island, tropical forest Humid, tropical Terrestrial and marine species collection; ecological observations Cocos Island (lush, isolated) 

Galápagos Islands

Volcanic, arid to semi-arid Variable, mostly dry Extensive biological surveys; evolutionary studies; discovery of new species Darwin Bay (Genovesa Island) 

Hudson Canyon (return)

Submarine canyon, deep sea Temperate, variable Deep-sea dredging; study of canyon marine life; artistic documentation of wildlife Hudson Canyon (off NY/NJ coast)

PART III. TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Scientific Apparatus on Board the 1925 William Beebe Arcturus Expedition 

Below is a matrix summarizing the key scientific apparatus carried on the Arcturus during William Beebe's 1925 expedition, along with their uses, purposes, and other relevant details. Apparatus/Equipment Use/Function Purpose/Scientific Objective Other Relevant Data 

Dredging Machinery 

Lowered to deep sea to collect marine specimens Study deep-sea fauna, especially bioluminescent species Used to collect thousands of deep-sea fish, many of which were studied alive on board. 

Beebe’s Pulpit 

Iron cage affixed to ship’s bow for close sea observation Direct observation of surface and near-surface fauna Allowed Beebe to examine marine life in sargassum and at the water’s surface. 

Boom Walk 

30-foot boom for suspending observer over the water Direct observation and collection of marine organisms Provided unique vantage for sampling and observation. 

Cages and Tanks 

Housing live animals Maintain living specimens for study and transport Enabled study of animal behavior and physiology in controlled conditions. 

Chemicals & Vials Preservation of collected specimens Long-term storage for later analysis Ensured specimens could be studied post-expedition. 

Darkroom 

Developing film and studying bioluminescent animals Photographic documentation and study of light-emitting species Critical for capturing images of deep-sea bioluminescence. 

Sounding Machine 

Measuring ocean depth and collecting bottom samples Oceanographic mapping and sediment analysis Donated by William H. Trotter; used for hydrographic studies. 

Powerful Radio Set 

Communication Maintain contact with land, send updates Provided by Stromberg-Carlson Mfg. Co.. 

Motion Picture Camera 

Filming expedition activities and wildlife Visual documentation for scientific and public record Motion picture negatives supplied by George Eastman. 

Flashlights & Batteries 

Illumination for night work and deep-sea specimen study Observation and photography in low-light conditions Supplied by National Carbon Co.. 

Launch "Pawnee" 

Auxiliary boat for near-shore and shallow water work Access to coastal and island sites Donated by Harry Payne Bingham. 

Photographic Equipment 

Still photography of specimens, crew, and environments Visual documentation and public engagement Included rare and artistic images, some digitized today. Notes
The expedition was notable for its inclusion of six highly accomplished women, who made up about a third of the scientific staff—an extraordinary fact for the era

PART IV. CIVIL AFFAIRS-NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

Matrix of Civil, Public, and Professional Responses to the 1925 Arcturus Expedition Response Type Crew Contributions & Roles Achievements & Discoveries Relevant Information 

1.  Civil -

Inclusion of six professional women, challenging gender norms of the era. - Public interest in women’s participation. - Inspired broader public curiosity about science and gender roles.

Popularized the Galápagos as a destination. - Beebe publicly supported women in science, stating he would gladly have an all-female scientific party if feasible.

2.  Public - 

Regular dispatches sent to newspapers, keeping the public engaged with the expedition’s progress. - Beebe’s books and articles became best-sellers, making scientific exploration accessible and exciting. - The expedition was widely covered in the press, with public fascination for both the destinations and the crew.

3.  Professional - 

William Beebe (Director), W.K. Gregory (vertebrates), Elizabeth Trotter (assistant), L. Segal (special problems), C.J. Fish (diatoms/crustacea), John Tee-Van (general assistant), William H. Merriam (field work), Isabel Cooper, Ruth Rose, Marie Poland Fish (scientists/artists).

Use of advanced oceanographic equipment: trawls, nets, dredges, water bottles, thermometers.

Artists like Isabel Cooper and Helen Damrosch Tee-Van documented specimens and events.

First official oceanographic expedition of the Department of Tropical Research (DTR).

Investigated Sargasso Sea, Cocos Island, Galápagos, and Hudson Canyon.

Documented biodiversity, volcanic eruptions, and deep-sea organisms.

Innovations in specimen preservation and illustration.

Supported by New York Zoological Society (now Wildlife Conservation Society).

Vessel provided by Henry D. Whiton; funding by Harrison Williams.

Outfitted with specialized research equipment, including Beebe’s pulpit and boom walk.

Produced scientific and popular publications, including Galápagos: World’s End.

PART V. SUPPORTING NOTES

1.  The team’s work ranged from pioneering underwater observations and illustrations to foundational ichthyology and marine biology research, including the first documented identification of American eel eggs and advances in the study of bioluminescence.

Artists were essential for scientific documentation before color photography was widely available, producing hundreds of illustrations and even experimenting with underwater painting techniques.

The expedition’s results were disseminated widely, both in scientific literature and popular books, helping to popularize oceanographic science and the role of women in field research.

2.  Details by Location 

New York City

The expedition launched from New York City in February 1925, using the steam yacht Arcturus, equipped with advanced scientific gear for the time. 

 Sargasso Sea

The team investigated the unique open-ocean ecosystem of the Sargasso Sea, focusing on the floating mats of sargassum weed and the diverse marine life they supported. Calm and clear conditions allowed for detailed surface and subsurface sampling using nets and trawls. 

 Cocos Island

Cocos Island provided opportunities for both terrestrial and marine research, with the team collecting and documenting species in the island’s tropical forests and surrounding waters. 

The island’s isolation and lush environment made it a notable feature on the route. Galápagos Islands The expedition spent significant time in the Galápagos, conducting evolutionary studies and collecting specimens to compare with Darwin’s earlier work. 

Beebe and his team discovered and named Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island, documenting the unique, fearless animal behaviors and evolutionary adaptations. The terrain ranged from volcanic rock to arid and semi-arid landscapes, with variable but mostly dry weather. 

 Hudson Canyon

On the return leg, the team explored the Hudson Canyon, a massive submarine canyon off the New York/New Jersey coast, using dredges and nets to collect deep-sea organisms. Artists on board documented the canyon’s wildlife through detailed drawings, as photography was limited in capturing color and movement at the time.

3.  Summary of Discoveries and Methods 

The expedition pioneered new oceanographic sampling techniques, using surface nets, trawls, dredges, and innovative observation platforms like Beebe’s “pulpit” and “boom walk” for close-up study of marine life.

Significant biological discoveries included new species and ecological insights, especially regarding the Sargasso Sea’s floating ecosystem and the Galápagos’ evolutionary diversity.

The inclusion of six female scientists and artists was notable and groundbreaking for the era.

4.  Additional Notes 

The Arcturus was specifically outfitted for extended periods at sea, with facilities for both live and preserved specimen work, and included a laboratory and photographic darkroom.

The presence of a diverse scientific staff, including women scientists and artists, was notable for the time and contributed to both scientific and artistic documentation.

The apparatus enabled a broad range of research, from taxonomy and ecology to physiology and behavior of deep-sea and surface organisms, as well as oceanographic studies.

This matrix reflects the multidisciplinary and innovative nature of the 1925 Arcturus Expedition, which combined traditional specimen collection with pioneering observational and photographic techniques.

5.   Synthetic Intelligence Data Inquiries. Perplexity AI

6.   Image.

        a.  Beebe Finds Life Two Miles Down in Sargasso Sea, Manchester, Ohio News Journal, 09 March 1925, page 5.

        b.  Important Expedition Missing in the Pacific, London Daily Mirror, 11 April 1925, page 1. 

        c.  Now We Have the "Evolution" Fish, The Buffalo News, 31 July 1925, page 1.

7.   Report prepared by A. Hayes, Sacramento Star syndication (c) 2025.

End of Report

unclassified.