Dr. Thomas Hopkins

Dr. Hopkins is Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences. He spent the majority of his career at the University of South Florida as a professor of Biological Oceanography.

Dr. Hopkins' research centered on pelagic marine ecosystems and oceanic food webs. Throughout his career, he was able to conduct studies in the Antarctic, all the way down to the low latitude regions, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

Research Interests

My research primarily centered on pelagic marine ecosystems and oceanic food webs. My initial work was on estuarine plankton biology, followed by a shift toward oceanic research in the Antarctic and low latitude regions such as the Gulf of Mexico. My principal focus was on the role of zooplankton in the food web. This involved studies of the feeding habits of the principal zooplanktivores in pelagic environments, e.g. mid-water fishes, shrimps and squids and the degree to which these predators impact carbon flux in the ocean.

Shortly before retirement, I was director of the USF Center For Ocean Technology, whose primary mission was development of new sensors for in situ measurements of key biological, chemical and physical variables.

Relevant to the biota of the Gulf of Mexico, Dr. Hopkins has published the following:

Hopkins, T. L. 1966. The plankton of the St. Andrew Bay System, Florida. Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, University of Texas 11: 12–64.