William Abbott Herdman (1858–1924)

Marine biologist. Graduated from Edinburgh in 1879 and was awarded the Baxter natural science scholarship. Assisted Charles Wyville Thomson on the zoological collections of the Challenger voyage, specialising in tunicates. Professor of natural history, Liverpool, 1881. Founded Liverpool Marine Biology Committee, 1885; opened a research laboratory at Puffin Island, off Anglesey, which moved in 1892 to Port Erin, Isle of Man. Investigated pearl fisheries of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), 1901. FRS 1892.