Marine Biological Hall Of Distinction: Jerry Laurens Barnard
- The Persaud Catalog
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
This article is part of our collection known as the Marine Hall of Distinction. In this special collection, we will discuss marine biologists who have served marine biology and oceanography the most. We do this to commemorate these marine biologists and show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. Today's marine scientist is Jerry Laurens Barnard.
Jerry Laurens Barnard is an esteemed marine biologist, carcinologist, & marine taxonomist known for his contributions to Amphipod taxonomy. He is particularly well known for his work with amphipods in the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. His work has heavily contributed to the understanding of crustaceans, & the understanding of marine biodiversity.
In today’s article, we are going to delve into his formative years & education, his personal life & career, his achievements, awards, & accomplishments.
His Formative Years & Education
Jerry Laurens Barnard was born on February 27th, 1928, in the town of Pasadena California. As a child, he was noted for curiosity, & inquisitiveness about the natural world. To encourage this inquisitiveness, at the age of 12, his family brought him to an exhibition by the Allen Hancock Foundation at the University of Southern California. After witnessing it, he became even more fascinated by the natural world, & convinced of his passion for it. It was then, after this presentation, that he set his sights on becoming a scientist. This, combined with a fondness for creating collections & organization systems, inspired him to pursue taxonomy, the scientific discipline of categorizing life based on its evolutionary & genetic relationships.
To begin his studies, he pursued an associate's degree in Science from Pasadena City College, then known as Pasadena Junior College. In 1947, he transferred to the University of Southern California, to begin his degree in Zoological Studies, the study of animals. He originally decided to focus on Corals of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, however, while studying, a new marine creature caught his interest, amphipods. During a showcase of crustaceans by a few of his peers, he became fascinated by them, & decided to pursue carcinology, the study of crustaceans.
Upon finishing his bachelor’s degree, he pursued his P.hD in Zoology at the University of Southern California, finishing his thesis on the wood boring habits of marine boring worms in the Los Angeles Area. Upon graduating, he did a 3-year-long postdoctoral fellowship working in the Central Arctic Basin, giving him a basis for working on Amphipod taxonomy & systematics.
His Personal Life & Career
He began his career with the Beaudette Foundation for Biological Research in 1958 as an Associate investigator. Gradually, he rose through the ranks to become an Associate Research Director in 1960, staying in that role for approximately 4 years. During this time period, he is known to have made some of the most significant contributions to Amphipod taxonomy in the Sea of Cortez.
In 1964, he transitioned into a position with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as the Associate Curator of Crustacea. He would retain this position for the rest of his life. In his capacity in this role, he oversaw the collection, preservation, restoration, construction, & upkeep of crustacean specimens for the museum. 1967 & 1968 saw him travelling posts, from the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, to the New Zealand Oceanography Institute, to the West Australian Museum in Perth. From his research at these various institutions, he published a research paper in 1969, one that would prove to be a valuable resource for every aspiring Amphipod Biologist for years to come.
An agreement between the National Museum of Natural History lent Dr. Barnard on loan to the University of Arizona from 1970, to 1974. As such, he packed his wife Charline, his daughter Gretchen, & his son Roger up, & moved his family to the hot, arid city of Tucson, Arizona. He was appointed as a research associate at the University of Arizona, granted faculty privileges, & even given a modest office on campus. In his capacity as a Research Associate, he was tasked with advising the graduate students, & overseeing the new field station in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. In addition to this, it was here that he met someone who went on to be a dear colleague of his. At the University of Arizona, Dr. Barnard met the famed invertebrate zoologist, conservation ecologist, & southwestern naturalist, Richard C. Brusca. From this point onwards, his horizons were broadened, & his research focused more broadly on worldwide Amphipods instead of being limited to the Eastern Pacific & Western North America.
Having already been involved with crustacean research into the Sea of Cortez, he was intrigued by the potential of doing research into the Amphipod species & populations in the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. Before this, his work primarily revolved around amphipod species of the Eastern Pacific & western North America. A previous study conducted by the National Science Foundation, San Diego Natural History Museum, & the Beaudette Foundation involving him got his foray into the Sea of Cortez, & gave him an appreciation of marine amphipods in the region.
As such, he had a great desire to stay at the University of Arizona, & attempted to negotiate with the Museum in 1972 to stay indefinitely in Tucson. Sadly, his efforts proved futile.
In 1983, he began publishing again on the subject of marine amphipods in North America. In collaboration with a then-student of his, he published a landmark paper on the subject of freshwater amphipods, which would go on to be a benchmark in the field of carcinology, the study of crustaceans.
Unfortunately, on August 16th, 1991, he passed away in Ramrod Key, Florida. He is remembered as one of the most extraordinary carcinologists of the 20th century, one of the world's foremost experts on Amphipod Systematics, & a brilliant scientist overall. His work continues to provide valuable insights to biologists, ecologists, & conservationists today, & is remembered fondly by many of his colleagues.
His Achievements, Awards, & Accomplishments
1. He is credited as the most productive amphipod biologist when it comes to studying the Sea of Cortez, & is credited as the reason that we have such a thorough understanding of their amphipod population.
2. He published over 225 publications on marine amphipods, & across these, described approximately 890 new species, 242 genera, & 14 new families.
3. Approximately 20 species have been named in his honour since his passing.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Accession 93-015”, Compiled by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Smithsonian Institution of Archives.
Citation No. 2: “The Arizona/Sea of Cortez years of J. Laurens Barnard”, written by R.C. Brusca, & Published on March 2nd, 1993. Published by Taylor & Francis Online.
Citation No. 3: “Obituary To J. Laurens Barnard”, Written by Unknown, & Published in 1991. Published by Revistas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Magazine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico).
Citation No. 4: "The influence of J. L. Barnard on amphipod systematics in the southwestern Pacific", Written by J.K. Lowry, & Published on March 13th, 1993. Published by Taylor & Francis Online.
Citation No. 5: "New families, genera and species of amphipod crustaceans described by J. Laurens Barnard (1928–1991)", Written by P.L. Rothman, & Published on December 16th, 1992. Published by Taylor & Francis Online.
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