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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Stephen Cairns

Research Zoologist, emeritus, Curator of calcified Hydrozoa, Scleractinia, and Octocorallia
Department / Division
Invertebrate Zoology
Education
  • Louisiana State University in New Orleans (UNO), B.S., 1971.
  • University of Miami (RSMAS) (Biological Oceanography), M.S., 1973.
  • University of Miami (RSMAS) (Biological Oceanography), PhD., 1976.
     
Affiliations

Past-president, current Secretary and Invertebrate editor of the Biological Society of Washington and Associate editor of the Atoll Research Bulletin. Tree of Life web project, Scleractinia, Octocoral Research Center.

Research Interests

Taxonomy, zoogeography, functional morphology, mineralogy, and evolution of the Stylasteridae, and deep-water Scleractinia and Octocorallia.

Publications
Journal Article
Book Chapter
  • Macpherson, Diana, Tracey, Di, Bilewitch, Jaret, Opresko, Dennis, Bo, Marzia, Kitahara Marcelo V., Cairns, Stephen, Sinniger, Frederic, Kessel, Gustav, Alderslade, Phil, Rodriguez, Estefania, Neill, Kate, Miranda, Lucila Souza, Schuchert, Peter, and Gordon, Dennis P. 2023. "Kingdom Animalia, phylum Cnidaria (corals, medusae, anemones, hydroids, staurozoans, & myxozoans)." In The Marine Biota of Aotearoa New Zealand. Updating our marine biodiversity inventory. Kelly, Michelle, Mills, S., Terezow, M., SIm-Smith, Carina, and Nelson, W., editors. 131–155. In NIWA Biodiversity Memoir, 136.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., Stone, R. P., Berntson, E. A., and Pomponi, S. A. 2017. "Species Discovery of Deep-Water Corals and Sponges in U.S. Waters." In The State of Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems of the United States. NOAA Technical Memorandum NFS-OHC-4. Hourigan, T. F., Etnoyer, P. J., and Cairns, Stephen D., editors. 39–57. Silver Spring: NOAA.
  • Hourigan, Thomas F., Etnoyer, Peter J., and Cairns, Stephen D. 2017. "Introduction to the State of Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems of the United States." In The State of Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems of the United States. Hourigan, Thomas F., Etnoyer, Peter J., and Cairns, Stephen D., editors. 1–38. Silver Spring: NOAA. In NOAA Technical Memorandum NFS-OHC-4.
  • Pérez, Carlos Daniel, Neves, Bárbara, Cordeiro, Ralf T. S., Williams, Gary C., and Cairns, Stephen D. 2016. "Diversity and Distribution of Octocorallia." In The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future. Goffredo, Stefano and Dubinsky, Zvy, editors. 109–123. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_8.
  • Bax, N. N. and Cairns, Stephen D. 2014. "Stylasteridae (Cnidaria; Hydrozoa)." In Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. DeBroyer, C.,, Koubbi, P., Griffisths, H. J., and Raymond, B., editors. 107–112. Cambridge: SCAR.
  • Watson, J., deCook, S., and Cairns, Stephen D. 2010. "Chapter 3: Phylum Cnidaria: Class Hydrozoa." In New Zealand Coastal Marine Invertebrates, Volume 1. deCook, S., editor. 177–228. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. and Bayer, Frederick M. 2009. "Chapter 13. Octocorallia (Cnidaria) of the Gulf of Mexico." In Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Volume 1. Biodiversity.. Felder, Darryl L. and Camp, David K., editors. 321–331. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M Press.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. and Fautin, D. G. 2009. "Chapter 12. Cnidaria: Introduction." In Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Volume 1. Biodiversity.. Felder, Darryl L. and Camp, David K., editors. 315–319. College Station, Texas.: Texas A&M Press.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., Gerhswin, Lisa A., Brook, Fred, Pugh, Philip R., Dawson, Elliott W., Ocaña V, Oscar, Vervoort, Will, Williams, Gary, Watson, Jeanette, Opresko, Dennis M., Schuchert, Peter, Hine, P. Michael, Gordon, Dennis P., Campbell, Hamish J., Wright, Athony J., Sanchez, Juana, and Fautin, Daphne G. 2009. "Phylum Cnidaria; Corals, Medusae, Hydroids, Myxozoa." In New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Gordon, Dennis P., editor. 59–101. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., Jaap, W. C., and Lang, J. C. 2009. "Chapter 14. Scleractinia (Cnidaria) of the Gulf of Mexico." In Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Volume 1. Biodiversity.. Felder, Darryl L. and Camp, David K., editors. 333–346. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M Press.
  • Calder, D. R. and Cairns, Stephen D. 2009. "Chapter 19. Hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) of the Gulf of Mexico." In Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Volume 1. Biodiversity.. Felder, Darryl L. and Camp, David K., editors. 381–394. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M Press.
  • Ofwegen, L., Breedy, Odalisca, and Cairns, Stephen D. 2009. "Octocorallia - Octocorals." In Marine Benthic Fauna of Chilean Patagonia. Haussermann, V. and Forsterra, G., editors. 177–214. Santiago, Chile: Nature in Focus.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. and Chapman, R. E. 2001. "Biogeographic affinities of the North Atlantic deep-water Scleractinia." In Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals, Ecology Action Centre and Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 30–57.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., Hoeksema, B. W., and der Land, J. van. 2001. "Scleractinia." In European Register of Marine Species. A checklist of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines naturels 50. 109–110.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 1999. "Stratigraphic Distribution of Neogene Caribbean Azooxanthellae Corals (Scleractinia and Stylasteridae)." In A Paleobiotic Survey of Caribbean Faunas From the Neogene of the Isthmus of Panama. Collins, Laurel S. and Coates, Anthony G., editors. 109–118. Allen Press. 357 in Bulletins of American Paleontology.
  • Collins, Laurel S., Aguilera, Orangel A., Borne, Pamela F., and Cairns, Stephen D. 1999. "A Paleoenvironmental Analysis of the Neogene of Caribbean Panamá and Costa Rica Using Several Phyla." In A Paleobiotic Survey of Caribbean Faunas From the Neogene of the Isthmus of Panama. Collins, Laurel S. and Coates, Anthony G., editors. 81. Allen Press.
  • Amaral, F. D., Cairns, Stephen D., and Schlenz, E. 1998. "Scanning electron microscopy of hydrocoral skeletons from Brazil." In 22nd Brazilian Congress on Zoology. 7–8.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 1987. "Evolutionary trends in the Stylasteridae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa)." In Modern Trends in the Systematics, Ecology, and Evolution of Hydroids and Hydromedudae. Bouillon, J., editor. 257–274. Clarendon Press: Oxford.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., den Hartog, J. C., Arenson, C., and Rützler, Klaus. 1986. "Scleractinia." In Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. Sterrer, W., editor. 159. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., den Hartog, J. C., and Arneson, C. 1986. "Anthozoa." In Marine fauna and flora of Bermuda. 159–194.
  • Cairns, Stephen D., den Hartog, J. C., and Arneson, C. 1986. "Class Anthozoa." In Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. Sterrer, W., editor. 159–194. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 1982. "Stony corals (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa, Scleractinia) of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize." In The Atlantic Barrier Reef Ecosystem at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize 1: Structure and Communities. 271–302. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences, 12. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.01960768.12.272.
Book
Web Page / Electronic Publication
Dataset
  • Packer, David B., Nizinski, Martha S., Cairns, Stephen D., and Hourigan, Thomas F. 2017. [Dataset] Deep‐Sea Coral Taxa in the U.S. Northeast Region: Depth and Geographical Distribution. Distributed by Silver Spring, MD: States. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS‐OHC‐4.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 2006. [Dataset] Station Data to Accompany Publications of S.D. Cairns. [text; .doc] Distributed by Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Research Online.
Book Review
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 2001. [Book review] "Beautiful reef builders." Science, 292, 1492.
  • Cairns, Stephen D. 1982. [Book review] "A field guide to the coral reefs of the Caribbean and Florida." Current, 4, (2), 21.