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O: HRI 314A
P: (361) 825-2030
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Job title: Endowed Chair - Biodiversity and Conservation
Education: Ph.D. in Zoology and Physiology, Louisiana State University (1982)
M.S. in Biology, Texas A&I University-Kingsville (1974)
B.S. in Biology, Texas A&I University-Kingsville (1969)
Expertise: Dr. Shirley was named HRI's Endowed Chair for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science in August 2005. He studies the systematic and ecology of marine organisms from the Arctic, Antarctic, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean, Philippines, and Alaska. He has been the Principal Investigator on 12 manned submersible projects, including the DSV Alvin, Pisces V, Delta and Deep Worker subs.
Documenting the composition of an ecosystem helps us to understand its characteristics such as stability and resiliency. Studying the variety of habitats from the shore to the deep water enables a better understanding of the resources we have today and the choices we must make for the future.
Additional Activities: An educator at heart, Dr. Shirley teaches courses in benthic ecology and biodiversity and conservation science. He was recognized by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program with an Excellence in Partnering Award and received a Cooperative Conservation Award from the Department of the Interior.
Research Focus and Interests: With his deepwater experience, Dr. Shirley uses a remotely operated vehicle to explore the ecology of fish and invertebrates on the banks of the continental shelf of the South Texas Coast. Knowing that access to this information is vital, he is working on NSF-funded research that enables researchers to interact comprehensively with multidimensional data sets. And his interest in understanding biodiversity is evident as he continues to analyze large marine ecosystems and research the distribution of habitats and impacts on deep sea corals.
Selected Publications: He has published more than 100 articles, books and proceedings which have included descriptions of new species from three phyla.
Shirley, T.C. Priapulida of the Gulf of Mexico. 2009. IN Felder DL & DK Camp (eds) Gulf of Mexico-Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas, pp 1125-1126.
Church, R.D., T.C. Shirley, et al. 2008. A study of living history: Deep WWII shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. The Past Foundation. 261 pp.
Kilgour, M. J. and T.C. Shirley. 2008. Bathymetric and spatial distribution of decapod crustaceans on deep shipswrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. Bull. Mar. Sci. 82: 333-344.
Park, W., D. Douglas, and T.C. Shirley. 2007. North to Alaska: evidence for conveyor belt transport of Dungeness crab larvae along the west coast of the U.S. and Canada. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 248-256.
Shirley, T.C. 2007. Cultivation potential of golden king crab, Lithodes aequispinus. Pp. 47-54 IN Stevens, B.G. (ed.) Alaska Crab Stock Enhancement and Rehabilitation. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Ak-SG-06-04.
Schizas, N. V. and T.C. Shirley. 2006. Apolethon hippoperus (Copepoda: Harpacticoida), a new species from southeastern Alaska. J. Crustacean Biology 26(3):341-354.
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