Hamed Gohar: The Father of Oceanography in the Arab World
Hamed Gohar was a pioneer of oceanography, a leading scientist of the MENA region and a much-loved TV presenter. Nicknamed the “King of the Red Sea”, Gohar dedicated his life to studying the ocean, and was featured as a Google Doodle on November 15, 2023 which marked what would have been his 115th birthday.
Born in Cairo in 1907, Gohar moved to Hurghada to work at the Marine Biology station researching “xenia” (soft corals) after earning a Masters in Oceanography from the University of Cambridge in 1931.
Through his research, Gohar discovered that dugong (also known as “sea cows”) were not extinct — going on to publish the first scientific study of the species in the Red Sea.
Professor Gohar and his research team via Daily New Egypt
Egyptian fishermen with a dugong via Mille World
His television program “Sea World”, in which he shared the world of oceanography and marine science with audiences from around the Arab world, ran weekly for 18 years from the 1970s. The show spotlighted underwater scenery and natural sea life. Gohar is remembered by many for his unique voice and passion for the ocean.
Gohar also made significant contributions to the development of Arabic scientific language, including through the production of Arabic-language scientific dictionaries. We read that between 1956 and 1958, he acted as scientific advisor for oceanography to the UN, and in 1961, founded the marine biological institute in Suez. He also helped establish the Geneva first International Conference on Law of the Sea.
Hamed Gohar’s Sea World
If anyone can share more information on Gohar’s life and legacy, we’d love to add it to this article. Comment below!
