Dana showed that zoophytes, like this coral, were responsible for creating reefs. Dana made contributions to many areas of science, including the study of volcanoes and mountains, mineralogy, and zoology, and published hundreds of books and scientific papers.

In the mid-19th century, American geologist, mineralogist, and zoologist James Dwight Dana created a classification system that arranged minerals first by their chemistry and second by their atomic structure or symmetry of the atomic arrangement. This system is called Dana's System of Mineralogy.

What is DANA? DANA, also known as “cold drop” in Spanish, stands for “isolated depression at high altitudes.” Known as “gota fría” or “cold drop,” DANA is an annual phenomenon caused by cold air descending over the warm Mediterranean Sea, leading to atmospheric instability.