The Discovery Investigations were a series of scientific cruises undertaken between 1925 and 1951 initially to provide a scientific basis for the management of the Southern Ocean whaling fishery. The investigations have contributed hugely to our understanding of the ecosystems of the Southern Ocean by indicating the importance of krill in the system and discovering the Antarctic Polar Convergence. The Discovery Investigations also provide one of the oldest series of circumpolar scientific cruises and thus provide a potentially invaluable source of historical data.