E-Mail: richard.appeldoorn@upr.edu

Dr. Appeldoorn received his BS in Environmental Science from Rutgers University in 1974 and his PhD in (Biological) Oceanography in 1980 from the University of Rhode Island. Since 1981 he worked as a faculty of the Department of Marine Science, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez until 2020. He has graduated more than 13 MS and 11 PhD students during that tenure. Within the general field of fishery biology, Dr. Appeldoorn has conducted extensive work on the biology and fishery of the queen conch and of coral reef fishes. Recent research focused on spawning aggregations, fish larval dispersal, and the distribution and movements of coral reef fishes and their relationship to habitat distributions over the seascape. Particular emphasis is given to developing biological design criteria for marine reserves and the use of reserves in fishery and coastal zone management. He has extensive experience throughout the Caribbean, conducting research and fishery assessments in Venezuela, Colombia, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, US Virgin Islands and in the waters off the Lesser Antilles. A longstanding member of the Board of Directors of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the Science and Statistics Committee of the US Caribbean Fishery Management Council, Dr. Appeldoorn is committed to enhancing management with the best scientific information.