Dr. Richard L. Turner
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, Florida, U.S.A., 1982-1983
- Ph.D. in Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A., 1977
- M.S. in Zoology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, U.S.A., 1971
- B.A. in Zoology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, U.S.A., 1969
Dr. Turner is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT).
Current research projects include (via FIT profile):
"Echinoderms of the Western Atlantic: distributions of echinoderms on the continental shelf and slope of the Atlantic coast of Florida; systematic revisions of echinoderm groups and of species descriptions that are new to science; low endemism and strong Caribbean affinity of the echinoderm fauna in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of the impact of the Wisconsin Glaciation and post-glacial climate on salinity, temperature, currents, and sea level in the Gulf of Mexico.
Morphology of Echinoderms: form and function of echinoderm pedicellariae; morphology of ciliary urns of sea cucumbers.
General Biology of the Florida Applesnail: The effects of hydrology on population dynamics of the snail; physiology of the embryos, which develop encapsulated in clusters of calcareous shells on stems of emergent plants above the water's surface; water balance, UV protection, and ultrastructure of the eggshell.
Taphonomy of the Ghost Crab: Fossilization of ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) that live on the high-energy sand beaches of Brevard County; the appearance of fossil crabs on the beach terrace after erosive storm events between Patrick Air Force Base and Melbourne Beach."
Relevant to the biota of the Gulf of Mexico, Dr. Turner has published the following:
Hendler, G., and R. L. Turner. 1987. Two new species of Ophiolepis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico: with notes on ecology, reproduction, and morphology. Contributions in Science 395: 9–13.
Miller, J. E., and R. L. Turner. 1986. Psolus pawsoni (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), a new bathyal sea cucumber from the Florida East Coast. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 99(3): 478–485.
Turner, R. L. 1984. Revision of Ophiopaepale Ljungman, 1872 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), with a redescription of O. goesiana Ljungman, 1872, and notes on O. diplax (Nielsen, 1932), new combination. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 7(4): 927–937.
Turner, R. L., and B. D. Graham. 2003. Calocidaris micans (Cidaridae) and Pseudoboletia maculata (Toxopneustidae): additions to the sea urchin fauna (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) of the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 116(1): 61–81.
Turner, R. L., and R. M. Heyman. 1995. Rediagnosis of the brittlestar genus Ophiosyzgus and notes on its type species O. disacanthus (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiomyxidae) based on the type specimens from Japanese waters and new material from the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 108(2): 292–297.