Virginia Orr Maes (1920-1986)

Virginia Maes was an accomplished marine malacologist who did most of her research out of the Academy of Natural Science - Philadelphia (now Drexel University). In the 1950's, she was the first volunteer and later became a paid Scientific Assistant in the Department of Mollusks. In 1970, Virginia was appointed Research Fellow.

Many of Virginia's expedition took place in the Indo-Pacific region, where she collected most of her specimens. Eight species and subspecies of gastropods are named in honor of her.

Relevant to the biota of the Gulf of Mexico, Virginia Maes has published the following:

Maes, V. O. 1983. Observations on the systematics and biology of a turrid gastropod assemblage in the British Virgin Islands. Bulletin of Marine Science 33(2): 305–335.

Maes, V. O., and D. Raeihle. 1975. Systematics and biology of Thala floridana (Gastropoda: Vexillidae). Malacologia 15(1): 43–67.