Darío José Guitart Manday

Biologist. His studies on Ichthyofauna, and in particular on sharks, made him one of the most recognized specialists worldwide. First Director of the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba, his connection to teaching began in 1959, when he started teaching classes at the old school of Biology at the University of La Habana, of which he was director from 1966 to 1968.

Appointed in 1959 by the revolutionary government to undertake the construction work of the National Aquarium of Cuba, when it was created he held the position of director, which he maintained until 1965, when the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba was founded, he was appointed as its first director.

During the course of these initial years, he participated in the first Cuban-Soviet scientific expeditions organized by the Institute of Zoology of Leningrad, which aimed to study the island Platform of Cuba, as well as conduct oceanographic research in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Because of his experience and knowledge of marine sciences, he actively intervened in efforts aimed at restoring the ecological balance of the coasts of Pinar del Río, when as a result of an oil spill from the ship Princesa Ana María, run aground in the area, the biodiversity characteristic of this region was threatened.

In 1982 he was appointed by the presidency of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba as its territorial delegate in the province of Holguín, where he organized the Scientific Council, and designed and implemented the facilities of the marine aquarium of Bahía del Naranjo, also acting as an adviser to the Aquarium of Baconao. In 1985 he returned to La Habana to again take charge of the direction of the National Aquarium.

He retired in 1990, dedicating himself to working with the unpublished manuscripts of the monumental work Ictiología Cubana, by Felipe Poey. When the Felipe Poey University Chair was created in 1997, he became its founding president.

Executor of the work Poeyana, he performed the transcription, conjunction and scientific editing of it, which, published in three volumes (two of texts and one of Atlas), was published in La Habana in the year 2000. He was associate professor at the University of La Habana, and taught classes at the Center for Marine Research.

He died in La Habana, Cuba, on March 18, 2000.

Works
He published more than 60 scientific and popular articles, as well as four textbooks. Among his most important works are: Synopsis of the Marine Fish of Cuba and Portrait of the Ocean.

He described for science some specimens of Cuban ichthyofauna, including two species of sharks. In 2001 he was posthumously awarded the categories of Professor Emeritus of the University of La Habana and Honorary Academic of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.

Recognitions
He received various awards and honors, among which the following stand out:
Medal for the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of Soviet expeditions to Antarctica in 1970.
Diploma as distinguished collaborator of the Union of Journalists of Cuba, 1974 – 1978.
National Order "Carlos J. Finlay", granted by the Council of State in 1983.
The Distinction "Rafael María de Mendive" granted by the National Union of Workers in Education, Science and Sport in 1984.
Diploma of honorary member of the Cuban Society of Biological Sciences, 1985.
Medal "Fernando Ortiz" for 25 years of Science and Technology in the Revolution, 1962 – 1987.
Diploma from the National Museum of Natural History of the Academy of Sciences.
Diplomas for 10 and 15 years of service in Marine Sciences awarded by the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences.
Medal for the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences, 1990.
The Commemorative Seal for the XXX Anniversary of the Center for Marine Research.
Shared Prize in the 2000 Research Balance of the University of La Habana, for the edition of Felipe Poey's work "Ictiología cubana".

He was decorated as honorary academic (post mortem) and on July 6, 2000, the Higher Pedagogical Institute "Enrique J. Varona" posthumously awarded him the Commemorative Plaque XXXV Anniversary of the founding of the institute.

Active Bibliography
Felipe Poey on the 180th Anniversary of his birth. Lectures and studies on History and organization of science. No 19. CEHOC, La Habana, 1980
Synopsis of the Marine Fish of Cuba. 2 Volumes. Scientific Technical Editorial, La Habana, 1985
Ictiología Cubana by Felipe Poey y Aloy (Transcription, conjunction and scientific editing by Darío Guitart Manday. 2 Text Volumes and 1 Atlas Volume). Library of Cuban Classics, Contemporary Image Editorial, La Habana, 2000.
García Blanco, Rolando. One Hundred Figures of Science in Cuba/ .../et-al/.- La Habana: Scientific-Technical Editorial, 2002

Source: Ecured