University of South Alabama teacher and researcher Dr. Robert L. Shipp’s name is synonymous with fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico. He passed away in late January at the age of 81 in Tampa, Florida, surrounded by his children.

A memorial for Dr. Shipp will be held at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Saturday, February 17, 2024. The memorial will be held in the Shelby Auditorium from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Shipp, originally from New Orleans, joined the Department of Biology at South in 1972 after completing his Ph.D. in biology at Florida State University. He spent 40 years at the University, retiring in 2013 as chair of the Department of Marine Sciences, which he had helped found.

During Shipp’s 20 years as chair, the Department of Marine Sciences grew in research, academic reputation, and national prominence. His leadership laid the foundation for the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences. He was also an active researcher and teacher at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and served as interim director in 1977-78.

Former DISL executive director Dr. George Crozier said Shipp was one of the most influential Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium proponents. Dr. Crozier credits Shipp with providing leadership to the scientific initiatives that became the Consortium and acquiring the former radar station. These efforts evolved into the Dauphin Island Sea Lab serving the graduate and K-12 students throughout the State concerning marine and environmental sciences.

“Few professors have had the impact on the University and the region that he had,” said Dr. Sean Powers, director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at South. “It is rare that a day goes by when someone doesn’t come up to me and ask about Dr. Bob and relay a story of the impact of a class they took from him, his role as a mentor, a conversation they had with him about fish, or another accolade. His impact on students, colleagues, and the community is truly inspiring.”

Of his many scientific contributions, Shipp was especially proud of his book, “Dr. Bob Shipp’s Guide to Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico,” now in its second edition.

“There was no fish he couldn’t identify,” Powers said. “He often went further, giving the fishermen the entire life history of the fish they caught.”

Numerous governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and sport fishing groups consulted him for his expertise. He served for 27 years on the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, which oversees the management of federal fisheries species in the Gulf of Mexico. That was one of the longest tenures of any council member.

Shipp also served on the state’s Conservation Advisory Board and with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, which was established to lead the first research effort following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

Shipp’s wife, Dr. Linda Shipp, preceded him in death after 50-plus years of true partnership in science and life. In their honor, the University of South Alabama established The Drs. Linda and Robert Shipp Undergraduate Scholarship in Marine and Environmental Sciences. To donate to the scholarship, click here.