William F. Perrin (August 20, 1938 – July 11, 2022) was an American biologist specializing in the fields of

cetacean Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

reproductive biology Reproductive biology includes both sexual and asexual reproduction. Reproductive biology includes a wide number of fields: * Reproductive systems * Endocrinology * Sexual development (Puberty) * Sexual maturity * Reproduction * Fertility Human ...

, and

conservation biology Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...

. He is best known for his work documenting the unsustainable mortality of hundreds of thousands of dolphins per year in the tuna purse-seine fishery of the eastern tropical Pacific. This work became a primary motivation for the U.S.

Marine Mammal Protection Act The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was the first act of the United States Congress to call specifically for an ecosystem approach to wildlife management. Authority MMPA was signed into law on October 21, 1972, by President Richard Nixon ...

(1972). His work on cetacean taxonomy was acknowledged in 2002 when a newly recognized species of beaked whale,

Perrin's beaked whale Perrin's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon perrini'') is part of the toothed whale suborder and is one of over 90 known cetaceans in existence today. Beaked whales are part of the family Ziphiidae, which are the second most diverse group out of all mari ...

(''Mesoplodon perrini''), which was named in his honor (Dalebout 2002).

Biography

Perrin was born in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin. He obtained a B.Sc. in biology (1966) from

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

and a Ph.D. (1972) from the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. His PhD co-advisers were

Carl Leavitt Hubbs Carl Leavitt Hubbs (October 19, 1894 – June 30, 1979) was an American ichthyologist. Biography Youth He was born in Williams, Arizona. He was the son of Charles Leavitt and Elizabeth (née Goss) Hubbs. His father had a wide variety of jobs (f ...

and

Kenneth S. Norris Kenneth Stafford Norris or Kenneth S. Norris (August 11, 1924 – August 16, 1998) was an American marine mammal marine biology, biologist, conservationist, and naturalist. Norris did pioneering work on dolphin Animal echolocation, echolocation. ...

. Perrin worked most of his career for the U.S. Government, initially for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (1966–1970) and later for the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

(1970–2013) at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in

La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

, California. He taught and advised graduate students at

Scripps Institution of Oceanography The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (sometimes referred to as SIO, Scripps Oceanography, or Scripps) in San Diego, California, US founded in 1903, is one of the oldest and largest centers for oceanography, ocean and Earth science research ...

Selected bibliography

* Perrin, W. F. (1975). "Distribution and differentiation of populations of dolphins of the genus ''Stenella'' in the eastern tropical Pacific". ''Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada'' 32:1059–1067. * Perrin, W. F., R. B. Miller and P. A. Sloan (1977). "Reproductive parameters of the offshore spotted dolphin, a geographical form of ''Stenella attenuata'', in the eastern tropical Pacific, 1973–75". ''Fishery Bulletin (U.S.)'' 75:629–633. * Perrin, W. F. 1975. "Distribution and differentiation of populations of dolphins of the genus ''Stenella'' in the eastern tropical Pacific". ''Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada'' 32:1059–1067. * Perrin, W. F., R. L. Brownell, Jr. and D. P. DeMaster (eds.). (1984) "Reproduction in whales, dolphins and porpoises". ''Report of the International Whaling Commission Special Issue 6''. * Perrin, W. F., E. D. Mitchell, J. G. Mead, D. K. Caldwell, M. C. Caldwell, P. J. H. van Bree and W. H. Dawbin. (1987). "Revision of the spotted dolphins, ''Stenella'' spp." ''Marine Mammal Science'' 3:99–170. * Perrin, W. F., G. P. Donovan and J. Barlow (eds). (1994). "Gillnets and cetaceans". ''Report of the International Whaling Commission Special Issue 15''. * Perrin, W. F. (2002). "''Stenella frontalis''". ''Mammalian Species'' 702. * Perrin, W. F., K. M. Robertson, P. J. H. van Bree and J. G. Mead. (2007). "Cranial description and genetic identity of the holotype specimen of ''Tursiops aduncus'' (Ehrenberg, 1832)". ''Marine Mammal Science'' 23:342–357. * Perrin, W. F., B. Würsig and J. G. M. Thewissen (eds.). (2009). Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Second Edition. Academic Press, Amsterdam.

Honors and awards

* Department of Commerce Bronze Medal, 1994 * New whale species named in his honor (''Mesoplodon perrini'') * K. S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award, Society for Marine Mammalogy, 2011

Positions held

* NOAA senior scientist, Southwest Fisheries Science Center (1984–2013) * President,

Society for Marine Mammalogy The Society for Marine Mammalogy was founded in 1981 and is the largest international association of marine mammal scientists in the world. Mission The mission of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) is to promote the global advancement of mari ...

(1987–1988) * Editor, ''

Marine Mammal Science ''Marine Mammal Science'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all topics about or related to marine mammals. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Marine Mammalogy. According to the ''Journal Citation ...

'' (1996–2000) * Associate editor, ''

Journal of Mammalogy The ''Journal of Mammalogy'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists. Both the society and the journal were established in 1919. The journal covers rese ...

'' (2007–2011) * Chair, Small Cetaceans Sub-committee of the

International Whaling Commission The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialised regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to "provide for the proper conservation of ...

Scientific Committee (1979–1984, 1987–1990) * Chair,

IUCN Species Survival Commission The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natura ...

Cetacean Specialist Group (1984–1990, member 1977–present) * Committee of Scientific Advisors, U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (chair 1991–1994, member 1980–1983, 1990) * Chair, Cetacean Red List Authority, IUCN (2006–2013) * Chair, Society for Marine Mammalogy Taxonomy Committee (2010–2016) * Scientific Councilor for Aquatic Mammals and Large Fishes,

Convention on Migratory Species The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...

(1991–2014)

PhD students advised

* Brent S Stewart (UCLA 1989) * Maria Christina Pinedo (UCSB 1991) * Patricia Rosel (UCSD 1992) * Frederick I. Archer, II (UCSD 1996) * Richard LeDuc (UCSD 1997) * Sergio Escorza Treviño (UCSD 1998) * Luana Garrison (UCSD 2001) * Aimée Lang (USCD) * Nicholas Kellar (UCSD)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrin, William F. 1938 births 2022 deaths 21st-century American biologists University of California, Los Angeles alumni University of California, San Diego faculty People from Oconto Falls, Wisconsin