Richard C. Brusca

Richard Charles Brusca (born 1945) is an American invertebrate zoologist, marine biologist, conservation ecologist, and cultural anthropologist. He is executive director emeritus of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and a designated campus colleague at the University of Arizona.

Brusca's research has focused on the ecology and biodiversity of desert and marine environments, particularly the Sonoran Desert, the Gulf of California, and the Madrean Sky Islands of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the California Academy of Sciences.

Education Brusca completed his Bachelor's in 1967 from California State Polytechnic University. Afterwards, he completed his Master's in 1970 from California State University, Los Angeles. Additionally, he completed his Ph.D. in 1975 from the University of Arizona. In 1981, he became director of Academic Programs at the University of Southern California's (U.S.C.) Catalina Marine Science Center. In 1984, he was appointed head of the Invertebrate Zoology Section at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Later, from 1987 to 1993, he was the Joshua L. Baily Chair and Curator for the Invertebrate Zoology Department at the San Diego Natural History Museum. From 1993 to 1998, he worked as a full professor of Biology and director of the Graduate Program in Marine Biology at the College of Charleston. Between 2001 and 2012, he worked at the Arizona-Sonora Museum, where he was senior director of Conservation and Science and director of the Arizona-Sonora Museum Press from 2001 to 2012 and 2002 to 2012, respectively. He was also its executive director from 2003 to 2009. Since 2012, he has been executive director emeritus and research associate at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. He was a research scientist at the University of Arizona's Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology between 1998 and 2024, whereupon, after retirement, he became a designated campus colleague.

Brusca is also a National Geographic Explorer. He has been an editorial contributor to the Mexico City newspaper El Universal and the Arizona newspaper Arizona Daily Star. He is also the author of novels In the Land of the Feathered Serpent and The Time Travelers.

Research Brusca's primary research interests include the natural history of the Sonoran Desert and the Gulf of California, the biodiversity of the Madrean Sky Islands, and invertebrate zoology. His work has also addressed themes in cultural anthropology, particularly through his examination of the relationship between biodiversity and linguistic diversity in Mexico. His studies have examined the impacts of climate change in the southwestern United States, particularly in the Sky Island regions, and contributed to the higher classification of animals through his work on invertebrate taxonomy and systematics. In his book titled Invertebrates, he discussed each of the currently recognized phyla, providing classifications, revised taxonomic synopses, updated information on general biology and anatomy, and current phylogenetic hypotheses. Judith Winston, in her review, described the book as successful, remarking that "one of the consequences has been its adoption as a standard desk reference for professionals and students". However, she also pointed out "typological errors and the differences in comprehension between chapters". Moreover, he has authored several field guides, including Common Intertidal Invertebrates of the Gulf of California, A Seashore Guide to the Northern Gulf of California, and A Natural History of the Santa Catalina Mountains, with an Introduction to the Madrean Sky Islands, the latter of which was selected as one of the Southwest Books of the Year in 2013.

Awards and honors 1965 – Civilian Service Medal, U.S. Department of Defense 2001 – Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2014 – Elected Fellow, California Academy of Sciences