Some Accomplishments

Short Biography of Adrian R. Lawler

Kept various specimens in tanks since a small boy collecting in the woods and creeks of east Tennessee in the 1940’s. Kept piranha, other fish, and a caiman in tanks in dorm at University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y, while going to college.

Received NSF Summer grant to do research at Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS), and discovered a fish gill parasite new to science and published on it (See publication list.). Master’s in marine science; Ph.D. in marine biology, minor in parasitology; Post-doctoral fellow in fish parasitology at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) for 2 years, then parasitologist. Co-founder and co-chairman of GCRL Toxicology program, and head of Experimental Organism Culture, l975-l984. Aquarium Supervisor, Scott Aquarium, 1984-l998. Has raised many species of animals and plants, farm and aquatic. Holds patent on fish attractant. Author of over 80 scientific papers and reports (See list.). Also author of various articles for internet (Aquarticles.com, plus other sites).

Partial Research Experience: Aquarium management; diseases and parasites of fishes and control; tank systems & techniques; culture of over 200 species of organisms; blue crab & crayfish shedding for softshell trade; lymphocystis of fishes; parasitic dinoflagellates of fishes; monogenetic trematodes of fishes, leeches of fishes; parasitic barnacles; bot flies; oligochaetes of tree frogs; abnormal development of crabs; fish attractants; trapping of aquatic organisms; toxicology; various bioassays; aquatic diseases transmitted to humans, etc.

Partial Job Experience (related to aquariums or aquatic organisms): photosynthesis lab assistant (Dr. Tom Punnett); microbiology lab assistant (Dr. Wolf Vishniac); marine biology; parasitology; crabber; fisherman; oysterman; shrimper; aquaculture; seafood store; pet store distributor; bait minnow business; blue crab & crayfish shedding; toxicology; fish hatchery; aquarium management, expert witness, etc.

Some Accomplishments:

(Can be verified by newspaper/magazine articles, organization literature and PR, scientific publications, acknowledgements by other authors in publications, books, etc., and several other means, etc.)

Grade School & Junior High School

--Won an award in every science, math, and track contest entered.

High School

--Won awards yearly in local science fairs.

--AFS Exchange Student to Sweden.

--First Place, Tenn. Acad. of Science Talent Search.

--Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award.

--Selected Most Likely to Succeed by the Senior Class.

College

--Martin F. Tiernan Scholarship, Un. of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y.

Graduate School (Dr. W. J. Hargis, Jr., Parasitology, Virginia Institute of Marine Science)

--NSF Undergraduate Research Participation Program Student.

--Discovered new fish parasite on first species of host fish examined and described it.

--Only one to earn a Ph.D. degree under Dr. Hargis for many years.

Post Doc (Dr. R. M. Overstreet, Parasitology, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory)

--One of last people hired by Dr. Gordon Gunter at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory while he was Director. Dr. Gunter helped train my scientific mind, and advised me.

--Parasitologist, Un. of Miami RV GILLISS cruise to Gulf of Panama.

Senior staff, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

--First to decribe internal infections (internal organs, eyes) of lymphocystis in fishes.

--First to link parasitic isopod to spread of viral disease (lymphocystis) in fish.

--Special invitation by USSR Academy of Sciences to write paper.

--Program Chairman & Journal Supplement Editor, Miss. Acad. Sci.

--Co-Chairman, GCRL Toxicology Program, for 10 years, and Head, Experimental Organism Culture for 10 years.

--Cut many of the trees to clear land for Toxicology Building.

--Designed much of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Toxicology building (first phase) and personally designed and built most of the holding-rearing tank racks for the building and 6 labs in the old dorms, and ponds and facilities on my farm.

--Supplied testing organisms to Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi DEQ, Southern Company, Army Corps, and many other public and private toxicity testing laboratories (and parasitology labs) for 10 + years. Some cited my lab-reared organisms, some did not.

--Mysids I cultured now used in toxicity testing in Europe and other places.

--First to infect freshwater fish (blue gill, guppy) adapted to low salinity water with Amyloodinium ocellatum.

--Ran largest Aquarium in MS for 15 years (Aquarium destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005).

--Personally designed and built behind the scenes holding-treatment tank facilities of J L Scott Aquarium.

--Added new displays and tanks to Aquarium over the years.

--Punzo Wall addition to Aquarium tank displays.

--Designed and Supervised (and did parts of work on) the remodeling of the main tank, vivarium, and other displays and parts of the Aquarium before I retired.

--Shared my technique of using diatom filters to filter out dinospores of Amyloodinium ocellatum to enable numerous facilities around world (laboratories, aquaculture ventures, fish farms, public aquariums, pet stores, private citizens, etc.) to hold and raise various species of fishes (redfish, pompano, striped bass, cobia, red snapper, speckled trout, etc.) without dying from Amyloodinium infections.

--First hybrid Tilapia hatchery in Mississippi.

--Ran advisory service on many aspects of marine biology & aquaculture & parasitology for public.

--Ran fish disease diagnostic and control service for local pet stores, other public aquariums, aquaculture ventures, live bait dealers, laboratories, and private citizens.

--Patent on fish attractant.

--80 + publications and completion reports (See list.).


--Only scientist in Mississippi to sign (of 1605 World scientists from 70 countries total) Troubled Waters: A Call for Action. 1998. www.mcbi.org/publications/pub_pdfs/TroubledWaters.pdf

--Only scientist in Mississippi to sign (of 262 total) letter to President Obama on
National Ocean Policy, 5 Feb 2010. www.mcbi.org/what/what_pdfs/NOP_letter.pdf

Retired

--Wrote numerous articles for internet (see Aquarticles.com) (see list).

--Wrote biological paper for Goldwater Institute (not released to public yet).

--Wrote biological papers for other concerns.

--2011, 2012 ...  Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary Club

--Established, and fund, Dr. Adrian R. Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship for students from home town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. http://www.orpsef.org/lawler.htm

--Established, and fund, Dr. Adrian R. Lawler Scholarship of the Ocean Springs, Mississippi Rotary Club.



Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D.