Welcome to the Home Page of:
                           Dr.Michael Barton

                                                            

Professor of Biology
Office: Young 216; (606) 238-5322
                                                                         bartonm@centre.edu
 
 
 

Personal:
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I was born in Los Angeles, California, Nov. 19, 1949.  After moving from California, I realized how much I missed the native flora.  This led me to one of my hobbies, cactus and succulents.  I can relate to their hardy, prickly nature.  They are easy to maintain, but the Kentucky winters require the collection to be moved indoors for several months of the year.  My other interest is in antique cars.  I currently maintain a '55 Chevy wagon and a '63 VW bug.  I am a NAUI-certified SCUBA diver, something that comes in handy for my trips to the Bahamas.

Education/Experience: 

I received an A.B. degree in Zoology from U.C.L.A. in 1971, M.A. in Biology from Calif. State Univ., Fullerton in 1973, and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife, with a minor in Oceanography from Oregon State University in 1978.
I was Visiting Assistant Professor at Univ of Virginia, 1978-1979,  and have served on faculty at Centre from 1979 to present.

Courses taught: 

During our winter term, I conduct an  off-campus program in Tropical Marine Biology at the Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador Island, Bahamas.

Research interests 

My research interests are in the ecology and physiology of marine and freshwater fishes.  I have conducted research on the headwater fish communities of Kentucky but my current research interests focus on the adaptations of inland fish populations of the Bahamas.  I am especially interested in the biology of cyprinodontiform fishes, common inhabitants of inland waters of the Bahamas.
Recent publications include:

Barton, M.  1996.  Chapter 28 (Behavior: Doing What Fishes Do Best) and Chapter 29 (Ecology: Environments Habitats, and Adaptations) in Biology of Fishes, 2nd ed. by Carl Bond, Saunders College Publ.

Barton, M. and C. Wilmhoff.  1996.  Inland fishes of the Bahamas - new distribution records for exotic and native species from New Providence Island.  Bahamas J. Sci.  3(2):7-11.

Barton, M.  1999.  Threatened fishes of the world:  Cyprinodon laciniatus Hubbs & Miller, 1942 (Cyprinodontidae).  Environ. Biol. Fishes 55:422.

Barton, M. in press.  Studies of the biology of inland fishes of the Bahamas: adaptations of cyprinodont fishes.  Proc. of the 8th Symp. on the Nat. Hist. of the Bahamas.

I have contracted with Harcourt/Academic Press to produce the third edition of Bond's Biology of Fishes.  This is scheduled for publication during the fall of 2001.

I have also recently developed the Centre College Natural History Museum.  This museum, while small, contains an outstanding collection of minerals and fossils.  The museum is open by appointment and interested persons may contact me to arrange visits.

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