Science at sea, 3rd of 3: Robert Fitzroy

Robert Fitzroy is often mistakenly sidelined in the history of scientific discovery as simply being 'Darwin's Captain', the man in charge of the Beagle voyage during which Charles Darwin collected the information that led to The Origin of Species. But not only was Fitzroy an accomplished sailor, he was a dedicated and driven scientist himself, whose work led to the creation of an effective storm warning system, and the concept of 'weather forecasting'. His life was not an easy one, however. From early on, he was acquainted with human tragedy and dogged by depression and bad temper. But his motivation was always to serve others, and his need for achievement drove him on relentlessly. His work saved many lives at sea, but his attempts at weather forecasting laid him open to endless ridicule. Furthermore, Darwin's fame overshadowed his own -- and his very thesis distressed Fitzroy greatly for religious reasons. Eventually the pressure he was putting himself under and factors in his personal life combined with his tendency towards depression, and in 1865 he took his own life. His work lives on however, and has gone from strength to strength in the form of the Met Office and its weather forecasts and shipping reports.