Wallis H. Clark, Jr.

Wallis H. Clark, Jr.

Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Biology, 1968
University of California, Riverside

B.S., Biology, 1964
Loyola University

Wally Clark, Jr. came to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in Spring of 1994 from the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory. The primary focus of his laboratory was in the area of developmental biology using aquatic organisms as model systems to answer questions about reproduction, fertilization, and early development.

Dr. Clark employed a wide array of disciplines to examine these processes, including biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, as well as classical developmental biology. Most of his work is on fertilization and early development of marine shrimp, Penaeus and Sicyonia, but he also worked with other species such as Gulf of Mexico and Shortnose sturgeon, spotted gar, and sea anemones, Nematostella. Part of this work was conducted at the Whitney Marine Lab in St. Augustine, Florida.

Dr. Clark is retired and lives in Skowhegan, Maine where he and his wife have an antique store.

E-mail: faa@ifas.ufl.edu

Selected Publications

Baldwin, J.D., A.L. Bass, B.W. Bowen and W.H. Clark Jr. 1998. Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the marine shrimp Penaeus. Molecular Phylogenetics Evolution 10(3):399-407

Wang, S.W., F.J. Griffin and W.H. Clark, Jr. 1997. Cell-cell association directed mitotic spindle orientation in the early development of the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis. Development 124: 773-780.

Chen, T.I., J.D. Green and W.H. Clark, Jr. 1994. Sperm penetration of the vitelline envelope of Siconia ingentis eggs is mediated by a trypsin-like lysin of acrosomal origin. Development Growth & Differentiation 36(3): 259-273.

Wikramanayake, A.H. and W.H. Clark, Jr. 1994. Isolation of two extracellular matrices from oocytes of the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis that independently mediate only primary or secondary sperm binding. Developmental Growth & Differentiation 36(1): 89-101.

Clark, Jr., W.H., F.J. Griffin and A.H Wikramanayake. 1994. Pre-fusion events of sperm-oocyete interaction in marine shrimp, Sicyonia ingentis. Seminars in Developmental Biology 5: 403.1-403.7.

Hertzler, P.L. and W.H. Clark, Jr. 1994. Mesendoderm cells are autonomously specified in the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis. Developmental Biology 164: 333-344.

	One of Dr. Clarkís projects was related to the reproductive biology of the Gulf sturgeon. These fish leave the Gulf and enter Florida's Suwannee river each Spring for spawning. During this time a small number of fish are detained so that eggs and sperm can be collected for research. In this photo, eggs are being collected from a female by Dr. Frank Chapman and deposited into a test tube (held by Dr. Clark). From left to right: Dr. Wally Clark, Dr. Frank Chapman, Dr. John Baldwin and doctoral candidate Jeff Wilcox.
	Close-up of penaeid shrimp, subject of continued research at UF's Whitney Lab near San Augustine.
	Jose Nunez, departmental biologist working with Dr. Clark and other faculty, is currently studying penaeid shrimp and sea anenomes at the UF Whitney Lab near St. Augustine, FL.
	Jeff Wilcox, one of Dr. Clark's graduate students, studied the early development of the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. Nematostella is the only sea anemone with a closed life cycle (can go from mature adult to egg back to mature adult) in the laboratory.

Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 7922 NW 71st St., Gainesville, FL 32653
UF PO: 110600 Phone: 352/392-9617 Fax: 352/392-3672

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