Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Stephen S. Curran

213 Dewey Avenue
Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564
Phone (228) 238-0208
stephen.curran@usm.edu

Education:

Ph.D. in Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi (2006)
Dissertation title: Taxonomy and systematics of some freshwater and coastal trematodes from fishes on the Atlantic Rim.
M.S. in Zoology, University of Connecticut (1996)
Thesis title: Some aspects of the biology of Aspidogaster conchicola, a parsite in freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from North America.
B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Connecticut (1992)

Professional Experience:

(November 2006–present)
Post-Doctoral Fellow, The University of Southern Mississippi. Responsible for monographing chalcinotrematine haploporid trematodes using morphological taxonomic techniques; examining evolutionary relationships of haploporids using comparison of ribosomal DNA sequence fragments; collecting and examination of trematode parasites; and training graduate students, undergraduates and interns in collection of invertebrates, vertebrates, parasites, and taxonomy.
(December 1996–August 2000)
Research Technician for Dr. Robin M. Overstreet, The University of Southern Mississippi. Responsible for collecting, preserving and identifying various invertebrates, vertebrates and parasites; writing taxonomic papers; presenting research at societal meetings and workshops; investigating various trematode life cycles using infection experiments and molecular analyses; assisting with the development and training of graduate students; assisting Dr. Overstreet with reviewing journal articles (Systematic Parasitology, Comparative Parasitology, Journal of Parasitology, Caribbean Journal of Science); maintaining laboratory and field collecting supplies; assisting visiting scientists with local collections and identifications; working on research boats; and conducting local, national and international field collections.
(June 1993–May 1994)
Research Assistant for Dr. Janine N. Caira, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut.
Responsible for collecting cestodes from sharks and rays; preparing cestodes for histological and microscopic examination; identifying parasites; maintaining alcoholic specimens; and assisting with collections for an NSF funded survey of metazoan parasites of elasmobranchs from the Gulf of California, Summer 1993.
(June 1992–June 1993)
Research Technican for Dr. Robert B. Whitlatch, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut.
Responsible for collecting, preserving and identifying marine invertebrates from deep-sea, continental shelf and estuarine benthic sediment samples.

Research Interests:

Taxonomy, systematics, biogeography, and evolution of Digeneans.

Teaching experience:

Co-Instructor, The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Summer 2007): Marine Invertebrate Biology.
Intern Instructor, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (June-August 2007).
Intern instructor, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (June-August 2003).
Graduate Teaching Assistant at University of Connecticut: Animal Parasitology (Spring 1995), Introductory Biology for Majors (Fall 1994).

Publications:

Curran, Stephen S., Vasyl V. Tkach, and Robin M. Overstreet. 200X. Three new species of Homalometron (Digenea: Apocreadiidae) from coastal and inland waters of Mississippi, with molecular analyses of some apocreadiids. (In Preparation).
Curran, Stephen, S. 200X. Two new species of Creptotrema (Digenea: Allocreadiidae). Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad (Submitted).
Curran, Stephen S., Vasyl V. Tkach, and Robin M. Overstreet. 200X. A new species of Crepidostomum (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) from Hiodon tergisus in Mississippi and molecular comparison with three congeners. Journal of Parasitology. (Submitted).
Brookins, M. D., J. F. X. Wellehan Jr., J.F. Roberts, K. Allison, S. S. Curran, A. L. Childress, and E. C. Greiner. 200X. Massive visceral pentastomiasis caused by Porocephalus crotali in a dog. (Submitted).
Curran, Stephen S., Robin M. Overstreet, and Vasyl V. Tkach. 2007. Phylogenetic affinities of Plagiocirrus Van Cleave and Mueller, 1932 with description of a new species from the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. Journal of Parasitology 93: (In Press).
Curran, Stephen S., Vasyl V. Tkach, and Robin M. Overstreet. 2006. A review of Polylekithum Arnold, 1934 and its familial affinities using morphological and molecular data, with description of Polylekithum catahoulensis sp. nov. Acta Parasitologica 51(4): 238-248.
Overstreet, Robin M. and Stephen S. Curran. 2005. Chapter 13: Family Atractotrematidae Yamaguti, 1939. In Keys to the Trematoda, Volume 2, edited by Arlene Jones, Rodney A. Bray, and David I. Gibson. CABI Publishing and The Natural History Museum, Wallingford, United Kingdom, pp. 167-174.
Overstreet, Robin M. and Stephen S. Curran. 2005. Chapter 12: Family Haploporidae Nicoll, 1914. In Keys to the Trematoda, Volume 2, edited by Arlene Jones, Rodney A. Bray, and David I. Gibson. CABI Publishing and The Natural History Museum, Wallingford, United Kingdom, pp. 129-165.
Overstreet, Robin M. and Stephen S. Curran. 2005. Parasites of the American white pelican. Gulf and Caribbean Research 17:31-48.
Overstreet, Robin M. and Stephen S. Curran. 2004. Defeating diplostomoid dangers in USA catfish aquaculture. Folia Parasitologica 51(2/3): 153-165.
Curran, Stephen S., Charles K. Blend, and Robin M. Overstreet. 2003. Anaporrhutum euzeti sp. n. (Gorgoderidae : Anaporrhutinae) from rays in the Gulf of California, Mexico. In Taxonomy, Ecology and Evolution of Metazoan Parasites (Livre Hommage B Louis Euzet), Tome I, edited by C. Combes and J. Jourdane. Les Presses Universitaires de Perpignan. Perpignan, France, 225-234.
Overstreet, Robin M., Stephen S. Curran, Linda M. Pote, D. Tommy King, Charles K. Blend, and Walter D. Grater. 2002. Bolbophorus damnificus n. sp. (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) from the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos in the USA based on life-cycle and molecular data. Systematic Parasitology 52: 81-96.
Overstreet, Robin M. and Stephen S. Curran. 2002. Superfamily Bucephaloidea La Rue, 1926. Chapter 15. In Keys to the Trematoda, Volume 1, edited by David I. Gibson, Arlene Jones, and Rodney A. Bray. CAB I Publishing and The Natural History Museum, Wallingford, United Kingdom, pp 67-110.
Curran, Stephen S., Robin M. Overstreet, and William F. Font. 2002. Thometrema lotzi sp. n. (Digenea: Derogenidae) from freshwater and brackish water fishes of Louisiana and Mississippi (USA). Acta Parasitologica 47(1): 14-19.
Curran, Stephen S., Robin M. Overstreet, Dang Tat The, and Nguyen Thi Le. 2001. Singhiatrema vietnamensis sp. n. (Digenea: Ommatobrephidae) and Szidatia taiwanensis (Fischthal and Kuntz, 1975) comb. n. (Digenea: Cyathocotylidae) from colubrid snakes in Vietnam. Comparative Parasitology 68:219-227.
Curran, Stephen S. and Robin M. Overstreet. 2000. Syncoelium vermilionensis sp. n. (Hemiuroidea: Syncoeliidae) and new records for members of Azygiidae, Ptychogonimidae, and Syncoeliidae parasitizing elasmobranchs in the Gulf of California. In Metazoan Parasites in the Neotropics: A Systematic and Ecological Perspective, edited by Guillermo Salgado-Maldonado, Alfonso N. García Aldrete, and Victor M. Vidal-Martínez. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F., pp. 117-133.
Ruhnke, Timothy R., Stephen S. Curran, and Thomas Holbert. 2000. Two new species of Duplicibothrium Williams & Campbell, 1978 (Tetraphyllidea: Serendipidae) from the Pacific cownose ray Rhinoptera steindachneri. Systematic Parasitology 47:135-143.
Benz, George W. and Stephen S. Curran. 1997. Results of an ongoing survey of metazoan symbionts of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) from Kentucky Lake, Tennessee. In Proceedings of the seventh symposium on the natural history of lower Tennessee and Cumberland River Valleys, edited by A.F. Scott, S.W. Hamilton, E.W. Chester, and D.S. White. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee. pp. 39-66.
Curran, Stephen S. and Janine N. Caira. 1995. Attachment site specificity and the tapeworm assemblage in the spiral intestine of the blue shark, Prionace glauca. Journal of Parasitology 81:149-157.

Agency Reports:

Overstreet, R.M. and S.S. Curran. Report on experimental strigeoid (Trematoda) infections in the white pelican. Kory L. Richardson, Refuge Operations Specialist USDA, Fish and Wildlife Service Chase Lake Prairie Project. December 1998.
Curran, S.S. and R.M. Overstreet. Freshwater, marine, and terrestrial leeches (Hirudinea: Euhirudinea) inhabiting Florida. Florida Association of Benthologists. October 1998.
Curran, S.S. and G.W. Benz. Survey of Metazoan Symbionts of Eight freshwater mussel species (Unionidae) collected in Kentucky Lake, Tennessee. 1st, 2nd, 3rd Annual Reports. Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. 1994, 1995, 1996.

Abstracts & Papers Presented:

Curran, S.S., V.K. Tkach, and R.M.Overtstreet. A North American species complex in Homalometron Stafford, 1904 (Digenea: Apocreadiidae) with comments on the taxonomy of some genera in the family. November 2005. Annual meeting of the New England Association of Parasitologists. Storrs, Connecticut. Regional, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. An introduction to the trematodes infecting fish in West Virginia. May 2003. West Virginia State College, Charleston, West Virginia. Invited.
Curran, S.S. and R.M. Overstreet. Crassicutis cichlasomae Manter, 1936 (Digenea: Apocreadiidae) In Peru and Paraguay, with discussion of the biogeography of Crassicutis using cladistic analysis of morphological features. August 2002. International Congress of Parasitologists with the American Society of Parasitologists. Vancouver, British Columbia. International, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. An introduction to trematode morphology and life history with emphasis on species from the coastal environment of the Gulf of Mexico. May 2002. Texas A&M University, Kingsville, Texas. Undergraduate audience, Invited.
Curran, S.S., L.M. Pote, D.T. King and R.M. Overstreet. Experimental exposure of the prodiplostomulum of Bolbophorus sp. (Trematoda: Bolbophoridae) from farm-raised catfish to the American white pelican, great blue heron, great egret, and double crested cormorant. April 2002. Southeastern Society of Parasitologists in conjunction with The Association of Southeastern Biologists. Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. Regional, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. A species of Crassicutis Manter, 1937 (Digenea: Apocreadiidae) from a tributary of the Amazon River in Peru, with discussion of the Biogeography of Crassicutis and related genera using cladistic analysis of morphological features. January 2002. GCRL Graduate Student Symposium, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Local, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. and R.M. Overstreet. Classifying subfamilies and genera in Bucephaloidea Poche, 1907 using morphological features. May 2001. Southeastern Society of Parasitologists. Berry College, Rome, Georgia. Regional, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. and R.M. Overstreet. The identification of strigeoid metacercariae in farm raised catfish from Louisiana. March 2000. 7th Biennial Fish Diagnostician's Workshop at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Regional, invited.
Curran, S.S. and R. M. Overstreet. Results of experimentally infecting fledgling white pelicans with the strigeoid tentatively identified as Bolbophorus confusus (Krause, 1914). 13 September 1999. Catfish Trematode Meeting. Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, MSU Extension Service, Stoneville, Mississippi. Regional, invited.
Curran, S.S. and R. M. Overstreet. Taxonomic features important for identifying leeches in Florida. October 1998. North American Oligochaete Conference and Annelid Workshop. Keys Marine Laboratory, Long Key, Florida. International, invited.
Curran, S.S. Distribution of aspidogastrids (Trematoda) in freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from eastern North America. July 1995. 70th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists and American Association of Veterinary Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. National, unsolicited.
Curran, S.S. and J.N. Caira. Site specificity of tapeworms parasitizing the spiral intestine of blue sharks (Prionace glauca), collected off Montauk, New York. August 1991. 66th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists, University of Wisconsin, Madison. National, unsolicited, poster format.