Dr. Dennis M. Opresko

Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Miami in 1974. Research Associate at the Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. Research interests in the taxonomy and ecology of antipatharian corals, and the effects of chemical pollutants on ecological systems. Dr. Opresko has been involved in risk assessment work for more than 15 years and has written more than 50 reports for U.S. EPA, DOE, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. Current projects include a comparative risk assessment study and development.

The following papers were cited in Felder and Camp (eds., 2009), Gulf of Mexico–Origin, Waters, and Biota. Vol. 1. Biodiversity:

Opresko, D. M. 1972. Redescriptions and reevaluations of the antipatharians described by L. F. de Pourtalès. Bulletin of Marine Science 22: 950–1017.

Opresko, D. M. 1974. A study of the classification of the Antipatharia (Coelenterata:Anthozoa) with redescriptions of eleven species [PhD dissertation.] University of Miami, Miami, Florida. 193 pp.

Opresko, D. M. 1993. A new species of Sibopathes (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Antipathidae) from the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 106(1): 195–203.

Opresko, D. M. 2001. Revision of the Antipatharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Part I. Establishment of a new family, Myriopathidae. Zoologische Mededelingen 75: 147–174.

Opresko, D. M. 2004. Revision of the Antipatharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Part IV. Establishment of a new family, Aphanipathidae. Zoologische Mededelingen 78: 209–240.

Opresko, D. M., and S. D. Cairns. 1992. New species of black coral (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Northeast Gulf Science 12: 93–97.

Opresko, D. M., and S. D. Cairns. 1994. Description of the new genus Allopathes (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) and its type species Cirripathes desbonni. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107: 185–192.