Miquel Duran i Ordinyana, prominent oceanographer, dies at 96

Miquel Duran i Ordinyana, a prominent oceanographer and intellectual, has died at the age of 96. Specializing in ichthyology, he was widely recognized for his extensive studies on fish nomenclature and maritime lexicon.

Duran i Ordinyana served as the director of the Balearic Oceanographic Centre from 1968 to 1987. His scientific career included collaborations with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and research expeditions to the fisheries of the Sahara and Mauritania.

Beyond his scientific contributions, he was a significant figure in Balearic culture and politics. During the Spanish Transition, he was a leader of the Grup Autonomista i Socialista de les Illes (GASI), a nationalist political group. His academic work included revising ichthyological terminology for the Institute for Catalan Studies and publishing specialized volumes on the names of fish in the Catalan Sea. In 2011, he received the Josep Maria Llompart award from the Obra Cultural Balear.