David W. Owens
Professor Emeritus
Education
Ph.D. - University of Arizona.
B.A. - William Jewell College
Research Interests
The physiology, behavior and ecology of marine vertebrates with special interest in the reproductive biology of marine turtles and the diamondback terrapin. We are particularly interested in discovering basic biological concepts which may be of use in developing improved conservation strategies for marine and estuarine organisms.
Courses Taught
BIO 406/629, EVSS 629: Conservation Biology
BIO 620/621: Graduate Core Seminar
BIO 627: Marine Tetrapod Biology
Publications
Blanvillain G, J. Schwenter, R. Day, D. Point, S. Christopher, W. Roumillat and D. Owens. 2007 Diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, as a sentinel species for monitoring mercury pollution of estuarine systems in South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Envir. Tox. and Chem. 26, 1441-1450.
Blanvillain, G. A. Pease, A. Segars, D. Rostal, A. Richards, D. Owens. 2008. Comparing methods for the assessment of reproductive activity in adult male loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Endangered Species Research. 6: 75-95.
Blanvillain, G, D. Owens and G. Kuchling (2010) Hormones and Reproductive Cycles in Turtles., In"Hormones and Reproduction of Vertebrates, Vol. #3. (D. O. Norris and K. H. Lopez, eds.), pp. 277-303, San Diego, Elsevier.
Pease, A., Blanvillain, D. Rostal, D. Owens and A. Segars. 2010. Ultrasound imaging of the inguinal region of adult male loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife medicine. 41 (1): 69-76.
Caillouet, C.W. Jr., D. Shaver, A. Landry Jr., D. Owens, and P.C.H. Pritchard. 2011. Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) age at first nesting. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 10(2): 288-293.
Arendt, M.D., A.L. Segars, J.I. Byrd, J. Boynton, J.D. Whitaker, L. Parker, D. Owens, G. Blanvillain, J. Quattro, and M. Roberts. 2012. Seasonal distribution patterns of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) following capture from a shipping channel in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Marine Biology. 159(1):127–139.
Arendt MD, J Boynton, JA Schwenter, JI Byrd, AL Segars, L Parker, DW Owens, G Blanvillain, J Quattro, and MA Roberts. 2012. Spatial clustering of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) captured by trawling in coastal waters of the Northwest (NW) Atlantic Ocean, and implications for management surveys. Endangered Species Research. 18(3):219–231.
Owens, D. and G. Blanvillain (2013) Captive Reproduction of Sea Turtles: An Important Success Story. In: Proceedings of the Churaumi Aquarium Symposium in Reproduction. Eds: Senzo Uchida and Keiichi Sato. Pp 37.
Pritchard, Peter and D. Owens. 2005. Introduction to the Kemp’s Ridley Focus Issue. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 4(4):759-760.
Hamann, Mark, C. Limpus and D. Owens. 2003. Chapter 5: Reproductive Cycles of Males and Females. In: The Biology of Sea Turtles: Volume II. Editors P. Lutz and J. Musick and J. Wyneken. (Editors) CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL. pp135-161.
Murphy, S. H., T. Murphy and D.W. Owens. 2003. Ecology of immature loggerheads on the foraging grounds and adults in internesting habitat in the eastern United States. In: Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Eds. Alan Bolten and Blair Witherington. Smithsonian Inst. Press. P 79-92.
Wibbels, T., D.W. Owens and C. J. Limpus. 2000. Sexing juvenile sea turtles: Is there an accurate and practical method? Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 3(4):756-761.
Dutton, P. H., B. Bowen, D. W. Owens, A. Barragan and S. Davis. 1999. Global phylogeny of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelyscoriacea). J. Zool. London. 248: 397-409.
Owens, D.W. 1999.&; Reproductive Cycles and Endocrinology. In K. L. Eckert, K. A. Bjorndal, F.&; A. Abreau-Grobois and M. Donnelly (Editors). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialists Group Publication No. 4., pp119-123.
Owens, D. W. 1997. Hormones in the life history of sea turtles. In: P.Lutz and J. Musick (Editors) The Biology of Sea Turtles. CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL. pp.315-341.