The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
Sea Turtle Hospital Program Manager
904-201-8414 | cbeastman@whitney.ufl.edu
Catherine Eastman (Cat) has been working with sea turtles in Florida since 1998. Growing up on the Atlantic Coast (in almost every state), Cat has always had a love for the ocean and its inhabitants. She started her career with sea turtles while studying at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. There, she joined the sea turtle conservation program at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex as a marine turtle specialist. She transferred to University of North Florida to finish her degree and accept an Environmental Educator position at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. She taught environmental education to K-12 school kids and led beach and upland nature hikes to adults and undergraduates. During that time, she and her husband incorporated a conservation non-profit to help support sea turtle nesting beach work and research. When Cat is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son (and golden retriever) at the beach and running.
Sea Turtle Hospital Veterinarian
904-201-8446 | bmburkhalter@whitney.ufl.edu
Dr. Brooke Burkhalter graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She spent 14 years in small animal private practice, caring for family pets and sick and injured wildlife within St. Augustine. She enjoys the internal medicine challenges and other aspects of veterinary medicine, but her main passion is soft tissue surgery. Dr. Burkhalter has advanced training in abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy, and CO2 laser surgery. Brooke has a lifelong love and admiration for all marine life, especially sea turtles. During her time in small animal practice, she spent several years volunteering at The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, assisting in the treatment of sick and injured sea turtles. Brooke is also a volunteer member of the Vilano Beach Sea Turtle Patrol, helping to protect nests and hatchlings along our beaches. As the lead veterinarian at The Sea Turtle Hospital, her primary responsibility is treating turtles affected by fibropapillomatosis. However, she is also very fortunate to work and collaborate with researchers to help better understand the disease and explore new treatment possibilities. Dr. Burkhalter is also an assisting veterinarian at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL and surgeon at Flagler Integrative Veterinary Center.
Dr. Burkhalter is happily married to her high school sweetheart. Their family consists of one daughter, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 gerbils, 1 guinea pig, and whatever orphaned wildlife babies are in need at any given time. When she is not working, Brooke enjoys being a softball mom, CrossFit, running, SUPing, and all other things outdoors.
Sea Turtle Hospital Manager & Veterinary Technician
904-201-8446| devonrenee@whitney.ufl.edu
Devon was born and raised in New England where she developed a passion for nature and wildlife at an early age. It was Devon’s mother, an active wildlife rehabber, who nurtured Devon’s curiosity and desire to help all creatures big and small. She attributes her love for the field to growing up alongside a variety of North American wildlife. “I spent my childhood with orphaned raccoons, squirrels and the occasional fawn.”
After receiving a bachelors degree in Wildlife Care and Biology from Unity College in Maine; she spent some time on a rock in the middle of the Pacific (Hawaii) working with dolphins and sea lions. “It’s every kid’s dream: to become a dolphin trainer.” This is what led her to realize that marine animal conservation and rehabilitation was her calling and true passion.
After relocating back to the main-land, Devon began her career as a veterinary technician. More recently, she has worked with members from a local animal hospital to help injured and ill wildlife before joining the Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Lab. She is excited to be part of the Sea Turtle Hospital ”Pioneers” and is looking forward to working within her passion.
Devon enjoys spending her “free time” (when not caring for sea turtles and a variety of other animals) with her husband Mike and their two “furry” children; both lab-mix rescues from local shelters, Henry Jones and Joshua David, her side kick, Chuck the cockatiel and a few other “friends” who were in need of a home. She also enjoys traveling, hiking, camping and anything water related.
Sea Turtle Hospital Animal Care Technician
904-201-8446
Leah has appreciated growing up in many different cities along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. With a lifetime admiration for ocean ecology, she attended Coastal Carolina University and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Science and a minor in Marine Geology. Assisting with university research opportunities in her undergrad led Leah to realize how much she adores marine animals. Leah began her career as a Sea Turtle Care Center Intern at the South Carolina Aquarium. While interning, she fell in love with sea turtles and decided that rehabilitation and conservation was the career path for her! After finishing the summer internship, she was accepted and completed two terms as a Husbandry AmeriCorps Member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. From the GSTC, she moved to the sunny Florida Keys to continue her career as a Senior Rehabilitation Specialist at the Turtle Hospital. Leah has enjoyed having the opportunity to work with each of the five different species of sea turtles found in Florida waters.
Leah is excited to continue working with sea turtles and learning more about the fibropapilloma disease through research at the Whitney Laboratory. When she is not at work she enjoys exploring different parks and relaxing at the beach.
Sea Turtle Hospital Animal Care Technician
904-201-8446
Kaylee Hargis grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and is a recent 2020 graduate from the University of Dayton. She achieved her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in biology. Kaylee has been fascinated by sea turtles since she could remember, but did not decide to pursue this passion until she went on a study abroad program to Hawai'i during the summer of 2019. In December of 2019 Kaylee traveled to Playa Grande, Costa Rica to volunteer with The Leatherback Trust. This is where she confirmed her passion and changed her life's plan. In Costa Rica, she immersed herself in nesting work, researching Leatherback, Olive Ridley and Green Sea Turtle nesting and hatching rates. After graduating, Kaylee moved to Florida to be the turtle intern for the Volusia County Marine Science Center for six months. After this internship she traveled south to Juno Beach and was the sea turtle rehabilitation intern for Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Kaylee is looking forward to learning more about fibropapillomas in sea turtles and all the research being conducted here at the Whitney Lab!
Andrea Kaser, DVM