Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, we sadly announce that the proposed Oceans Past IX Conference which was due to be held in Oostende, Belgium, will be postponed until 2022.

We will be tracking the COVID-19 situation and will take all necessary precautions to enable us to meet safely, and will keep everyone updated to facilitate planning needs.

Watch this space!

The Oceans Past Conference convenors.

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 In the meantime, the Oceans Past Initiative is excited to announce we are planning a programme of online workshops to be held throughout 2021. 

These workshops will be focused upon specific problems and research areas that cater for the diverse interests of the OPI membership. 

If you are interested in organising an online workshop on a particular topic, please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will facilitate the inclusion of your workshop in the 2021 programme. 

We welcome workshops ideas that aim to explore new topics, create novel collaborations, foster research outputs, or that engage new perspectives on previously completed research.

The Oceans Past Conference convenors.

HoST — Journal of History of Science and Technology is a peer-reviewed open access journal, published online in English by De Gruyter/Sciendo and results of a partnership between four Portuguese research units (CIUHCT, CIDEHUS, ICS e IHC).

 TABLE OF CONTENTS OF VOLUME 14.2

· Special issue “The Fabulous 1930s in the History of Science and Technology”, with an introduction by the guest editors, Ana Simões and Antonio Sánchez, to the four articles it contains. This thematic issue sprang from the session “The fabulous thirties in the history of science and technology”, held at the 8th European Society for the History of Science’s biennial meeting (London, September 2018), which was also proposed and organized by the guest editors. The authors’ proposals discussed in this issue offer a good glance at the 1930s historiographical richness.

o “Introduction: The Fabulous 1930s in the History of Science and Technology”, Ana Simões and Antonio Sánchez

o “The Struggle for Objectivity: Gramsci’s Historical-Political Vistas on Science against the Background of Lenin’s Epistemology”, Pietro Daniel Omodeo

o “Ludwik Fleck, Alfred Schutz, and Trust in Science: The Public Responsibility of Science Education in Challenging Times”, Kathryn M. Olesko

o “The Perfect Pair: Bloch, Febvre, and the History of Science and Technology”, Maria Paula Diogo

o “Similarities, Differences, and Missed Connections between Thomas S. Kuhn, Gaston Bachelard and the Continental Historiography of Science”, Alberto Fragio

 ·  Three book reviews

o “Book Review: Lukas Engelmann and Christos Lynteris. Sulphuric Utopias: A History of Maritime Fumigation”, Ximo Guillem-Llobat

o “Book Review: Davi Pretel and Lino Camprubí, eds. Technology and Globalisation: Networks of Experts in World History”, John Krige

o “Book Review: Tatiana Kasperski. Les politiques de la radioactivité: Tchernobyl et la mémoire nationale en Biélorussie”, Jacob Darwin Hamblin

This month – "‘Sustainability’ and ecological degradation – looking through the “royal forests”", by Koldo Trapaga Monchet 

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Este mês - "‘Sostenibilidad’ y degradación ecológica vistos a través de los “bosques reales”", por Koldo Trapaga Monchet

This month – Flores Nature Park (Portugal)

Established in 2011, the Flores Nature Park’s mission is to manage the island’s classified protected areas that cover approximately a third of the island’s total area, distributed by three Nature Reserves, one Natural Monument, three Protected Areas for the Management of Habitats or Species, one Protected Landscape Area and one Protected Area of Resources Management.

Flores Nature Park presents remarkable features, such as the biggest and best-preserved wooded peatbogs of the North Atlantic and two of the rarest plants in the world, the Myosotis azorica and the Veronica dabneyi. The latter, currently, is only known in a wild state in the Western Group’s islands.There are 547 species of vascular plants in Flores Island, of which, between species and subspecies, more than 50 are endemic of the Archipelago. Regarding its terrestrial fauna, stands out three endemic species of the island: Tarphius floresensis, Agyneta depigmentata and Cheiracanthium floresense.

In 2009, Flores Island joined the World Network of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, by the decision of the International Co-ordinating Council of the MAB Programme (Man and the Biosphere), an international recognition that reflects its unique ecological, geological environmental and cultural values.

More info at https://parquesnaturais.azores.gov.pt/en/parques/4

Este mês - Parque Natural das Flores (Portugal)

O Parque Natural das Flores, criado em 2011, tem por missão a gestão ambiental de áreas protegidas classificadas, que abrangem cerca de um terço da área total da ilha e estão distribuídas por três Reservas Naturais, um Monumento Natural, três Áreas Protegidas para a Gestão de Habitats ou Espécies, uma Área de Paisagem Protegida e uma Área Protegida de Gestão de Recursos.

O Parque Natural das Flores apresenta aspetos notáveis, como as maiores e mais bem conservadas turfeiras arborizadas do Atlântico Norte e duas das plantas mais raras do mundo, a Myosotis azorica (não-me-esqueças) e a Veronica dabneyi, que, atualmente, só é conhecida em estado selvagem nas ilhas do Grupo Ocidental. Foram compiladas 547 espécies de plantas vasculares para as Flores, das quais, entre espécies e subespécies, mais de 50 são endémicas do Arquipélago. No que se refere à sua fauna terrestre, importa salientar três espécies endémicas da ilha: Tarphius floresensis, Agyneta depigmentata e Cheiracanthium floresense.

Em 2009, a ilha das Flores passou a integrar a Rede Mundial de Reservas da Biosfera da UNESCO, por decisão do Conselho Internacional de Coordenação do Programa MAB (Man and the Biosphere – Homem e a Biosfera), um reconhecimento internacional que reflete os seus valores ecológicos, geológicos, ambientais e culturais únicos.

Para mais informações ver https://parquesnaturais.azores.gov.pt/pt/

Dear colleagues,

The Call for Papers of the fifth meeting of the European Rural History Organization is now open until the 15th of January. It will take place in Uppsala, Sweden, by late August of 2021. One of the sessions is organized by me (Carlos Faísca) and two colleagues from the ReSEED project (Alberto González and Dulce Freire) and is entitled Seeds and Agricultural changes in Europe (XV-XX centuries).

As it name implies, we aim to gather researchers that are studying the impact of biological innovations in the European agriculture since the 15th century. In particular, we think that issues such as seed selection, plant breeding and the introduction of new plants and varieties will be the most relevant. All information about the session can be found at the following link: https://www.ruralhistory2021.se/call-for-papers/ (Session 62)

If you are interested in joining our session, which would greatly honour us, you can send your proposal through the following link https://appinconf.com/kas/Abstract?projectName=rh2021

However, if the subject doesn’t fit your current research, I still ask you to spread the message across your contacts.

For any remaining doubt, please use the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Best Regards