Jefferson Turner

Jefferson Turner, PhD, is a Chancellor Professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, affiliated with the School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) and the Biology department. His research focuses on marine plankton, zooplankton feeding mechanisms, and the ecological impacts of harmful algal blooms.

Education:

• PhD in Biology, Texas A&M University (1977)
• MA in Biology, University of South Florida (1974)
• BS in Biology, Guilford College (1969)

Turner teaches courses such as Ocean Environment (BIO 112) and Descriptive Oceanography (BIO 316), emphasizing integrated marine ecosystems and foundational oceanographic principles. His research explores biological and physical controls of toxic Alexandrium blooms, long-term plankton surveys in Buzzards Bay, and zooplankton monitoring in Boston Harbor and adjacent waters.

His publications highlight critical topics like the ocean’s biological pump and interactions between copepods and harmful algae, with funding from Battelle Memorial Institute for Harbor Outfall Monitoring projects (2014-2023, 2024-2027). Turner’s work addresses food web toxin accumulation, plankton community dynamics, and estuarine ecological health.