Élisabeth-Paul-Édouard de Rossel

Élisabeth-Paul-Édouard de Rossel (1765-1829), also known as Chevalier de Rossel, was a French naval officer, explorer, and hydrographer. He took part in the voyage of Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux to the Pacific (1791-1793), and became the leader of the expedition after the deaths of the senior officers. The expedition disintegrated in the revolutionary wars, but Rossel was able to bring the records and collections of the expedition back to Europe and write the record of the voyage, which was published in 1808.

He was noted for his magnetic observations, which showed that the earth's magnetic field is not constant, but increases from the equator towards the poles. His subsequent career was with the French Hydrographic Office, of which he became director. He was important in planning the chain of lighthouses that were constructed around the French coast from 1825-1854.