Dr. Dan C. Marelli

Dr. Marelli is a broadly trained invertebrate biologist whose specialty is bivalve mollusk ecology, systematics and evolution. He is also interested in invasive and nonindigenous marine and freshwater mollusk issues, and has also worked on native unionid distribution and growth in Lake George, NY. He has conducted extensive work on fisheries species in Florida including Mercenaria spp. and Argopecten irradians while a researcher at the Florida Marine Research Institute (now Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute). Invasive species work has involved population biology and ecology of Perna viridis, Dreissena sp. and Corbicula sp. He is a world specialist in the obscure bivalve family Dreissenidae (which includes the zebra and quagga mussels) and regularly consults with governmental agencies, universities and non governmental organizations identifying marine and estuarine bivalves. He also consults with archaeologists to identify marine and estuarine mollusk species and characterize historical or palaeo habitats.