Ruth Turner

Ruth Dixon Turner (1915 - April 30 2000) was a pioneering marine biologist who became the world's expert on teredos, wood-boring bivalve mollusks that wreak havoc on docks and boats, creating dangerous conditions for the maritime shipping industry.

She held the Alexander Agassiz Professorship at Harvard University and was a Curator of Malacology in the University's Museum of Comparative Zoology where she also served as co-editor of the scientific journal "Johnsonia". She graduated from Bridgewater State College, earned a Masters degree at Cornell University and a PhD at Harvard (Radcliffe College) where she specialized in shipworm research.

ruth became one of Harvard's first tenured women professors in 1976, and was one of the most academically successful female marine researchers, publishing over 200 scientific articles and a book during her illustrious career. She was also the first female scientist to use the deep ocean research submarine Alvin [http://www.marine.whoi.edu/divelog.nsf/7d6ced7cbf2c43a285256812005446a6/543a78f9bd213cb28525620b006c84f6?OpenDocument] .