Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Research and Collections/Crustacea
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Telephone 1.213.763.3473
email: strautwein@lbaop.org
My primary interests rest in evolutionary biology, particularly in the systematic, phylogenetic, and biogeographic relationships among marine invertebrates. My graduate thesis focused on the phylogenetic relationships of scleractinian coral families.
EDUCATION
1994-1996 University of Charleston, SC M.S., Marine Biology
1981-1995 Towson State University, MD B.S., Biology , Concentration in Marine Biology
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
January 1997 - present
CURATOR OF FISH AND INVERTEBRATES
LONG BEACH AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
100 AQUARIUM WAY, LONG BEACH CA 90802
Supervisor responsible for exhibit
design, animal husbandry of marine fish and invertebrates, and
supervision of 12 full time staff.
Hiring and management of husbandry personnel; husbandry and maintenance
of over 10,000 Pacific marine specimens; design and development
of exhibits and associated life support systems including interpretive
components for fish and invertebrates; development of associated
coral reef research projects.
June 1996 to January 1997
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
1015 18TH ST., SUITE 1000, WASHINGTON, DC 20036
Sea of Cortez Database and Biogeographical
Analysis.
Completion of literature review, field work, and data capture
for complete faunal summary of species and associated ecological
and biogeographical data for the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California),
Mexico.
January 1994 to June 1996
GRADUATE RESEARCH AND TEACHING ASSISTANT
UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON, GRICE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LAB
205 FORT JOHNSON, CHARLESTON, SC 29412
Sea of Cortez Database and Biogeographical
Analysis. Funded by Conservation International and CONABIO (Mexico).
Dr. R.C. Brusca, P.I.
Initial development of biodiversity study for the Sea of Cortez
(Gulf of California) including database design and data capture.
Teach undergraduate students introductory biology courses.
May, 1990 to August, 1993
CURATOR
CORAL WORLD INC., ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN
ISLANDS
Supervisor responsible for husbandry
department of mid-sized marine park and zoo.
Training and management of husbandry personnel (8), interns, and
volunteers.
Development and implementation of annual operational and investment
budgets.
Hiring and firing of employees.
Design and development of exhibits and associated life support,
including interpretive components for tropical fish, invertebrates,
birds, reptiles and plants.
Implement research programs associated with scleractinian corals
and biodiversity of Caribbean fauna.
Development of educational programs in association with Univ.
of the Virgin Is.
June, 1989 to May, 1990
SENIOR EDUCATOR/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
LADY MARYLAND FOUNDATION, BALTIMORE,
MD.
Responsible for the development
and presentation of marine educational programs emphasizing conservation
and environmental awareness.
Supervisor and volunteer trainer for over 150 volunteers.
May, 1984 to June, 1989
SENIOR AQUARIST
NATIONAL AQUARIUM IN BALTIMORE, BALTIMORE,
MD
Aquarist responsible for the care
and maintenance of a wide variety of aquatic flora and fauna.
Animal collection and husbandry; water quality monitoring; SCUBA;
public relations; training of volunteers and interns; development
and implementation of member's programs.
Experience in exhibit design for a broad diversity of habitats
including freshwater streams and lakes, saltmarshes, open ocean,
Atlantic coastal beaches, coral reefs (including living coral
exhibits), northwest Pacific coast and "jewel" exhibits.
Published and presented "NAIB Exhibitry: Renovations for
Changing
Times" - AAZPA Regional Conference, May 1987.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
The Crustacean Society, American Academy for the Advancement
of Science, Sigma Xi, American Zoo and Aquarium Association
AWARDS
Deepwater Fellowship, $3000; Summer 1995, University of Charleston,
SC.
PRESENTATIONS
"A Reexamination of Wells' (1956) Phylogeny: A Family-Level Cladistic Analysis of Scleractinia" Presented at the International Coral Reef Symposium, Panama, June 1996.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
French Polynesia, 1995 - sponsored by National Geographic Society.
Sea of Cortez, 1994 - sponsored by Conservation International
and CONABIO (Mexico).
Caribbean including Bahamas, Florida Keys, and Antilles - sponsored
by Coral World and NAIB.
SCUBA certified since 1978 with extensive collecting experience.
REFERENCES
Dr. Joel W. Martin (co-advisor): Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90007; e-mail, jwmartin@bsf.usc.edu;(213) 763-3440.
Dr. David K. Jacobs (co-advisor): University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Organismic Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Los Angeles, CA 90095; e-mail, djacobs@ucla.edu; (310) 206-7885.
Dr. Richard C. Brusca Senior Research Scientist, Columbia University,
Biosphere 2
Center, 3250 S. Biosphere Rd., P.O. Box 689, Oracle, AZ 85623;
rbrusca@bio2.edu;
(520) 896-6435
Dr. Zhexi Luo Section of Vertebrate Paleontology,
Carnegie Museum of
Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
(412) 622-6578