Ioan Borcea (1879-1936, Agigea, Constanţa) – biologist, university professor, internationally recognized researcher. He is the founder of Ferdinand I Zoological Sea Station of the University of Iaşi, in Agigea, Constanţa. He also developed the concept of biological pest control in Romanian agriculture.
He attended high school at The National College of Iaşi and then at C. Negruzzi Boarding High School of Iaşi, graduating in 1897. He became a student of the Faculty of Sciences, Natural Sciences Department, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, graduating in 1900 and he continued to work as a teaching assistant at the Animal Morphology Department after graduation. In 1901 he became a scholar of the V. Adamachi Fund and he continued his studies in France, getting his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Sorbonne, Faculty of Natural Sciences in Paris (1903). In 1905 he defended his doctoral thesis – “Recherches sur le system uro-genital des Elasmobranches” at the same university. He attended several specialization courses abroad, at the biological sea resorts in Banyuls sur Mer, Roskoff (France), Napoli (Italy). He was a professor at the Faculty of Sciences of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi (1919-1920); founder of Agigea Marine Biological Station, Contanţa (1926) and its director between 1926 and 1936; Head of the Ministry of Culture and Public Instruction (1919-1920); Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, director of the Museum of Natural History in Iaşi; member of the Museum of Natural History in Paris (1909) and New York (1935); honorary member of the French Society of Zoology, editor of “V. Adamachi” science journal.
He was correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Montpellier, France (1936).
He published over 100 scientific papers in the following fields: theoretical and applied Entomology, Oceanology, Museology, the Black Sea fauna and the Ponto-Caspian relics in firths and in Razelm area. He passed away in Agigea-Constanţa. on 30th July 1936.
