News

Ph.D. Defense Success for Lucas Guttieres

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Loesgen Lab welcomes Dr. Blaik Hopewell

Monday, August 17, 2026

Blaik is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Loesgen Lab.

Former Seaver Lab Graduate Student Lauren Kunselman Publishes in Developmental Biology, Selected for Cover Image

Thursday, August 13, 2026

This research is an important step in understanding how to increase or kickstart regenerative abilities in body regions that show limited capacity to replace missing parts.

Duffy Lab Welcomes J'nesse Balkman

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Loesgen and Strother Labs Welcome Emma Navarro

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Evenings at Whitney September 10

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Whitney Marine Research Center in Lab Design News

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

The Latest Issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology Spotlights Liao Lab Researchers and Two Papers

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

In addition to the spotlights, the Liao Lab has TWO publications in the Journal of Experimental Biology June 2026, Volume 229, Issue 12.

Dr. Sandra Loesgen Promoted to Full Professor

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen, Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Chemistry, who has received promotion to Full Professor from the University of Florida! 

Making an Impact on Whitney Lab Education Programs - NextEra Energy Foundation/FPL

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Thanks to a generous donation from the NextEra Energy Foundation/FPL, the education space has new wet lab tables and interactive, AI-powered smart boards.

Emily Skinner - 2026 Matthaei Ecological Scholar

Monday, June 29, 2026

Emily’s project will focus on refining environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring methods to investigate the population movement and health of the historically understudied sea turtle populations in the Matanzas River.

Loesgen Lab Discovers New Metabolites from Fungi

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

In this project Dr. Bastien Petit discovered a novel compound from a Patagonian fungus with potent cytotoxic activity.

Whitney Graduate Student Association Elects New Officers

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Congratulations to Whitney Laboratory’s newly elected graduate student officers!

Dr. David Duffy Awarded National Park Service Funding for Work Related to Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Congratulations to Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics Dr. David Duffy for being awarded National Park Service funding for work related to Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles. 

Martindale Lab Publishes Paper in the Journal Molecular Biology and Evolution

Monday, June 15, 2026

The Martindale lab published a new paper entitled “Evidence for an early cadherin-catenin network in ctenophores” in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Studying the Effects of the Microbiome on the Life-Cycle of the Floridian Local, Upside-Down Jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana

Thursday, June 11, 2026

The project was led by former Loesgen Lab Postdoc Dr. Federica Montesanto and supported by Dr. Mark McCauley, in collaboration with the Martindale Lab (Cody Miner, Bailey Steinworth, Dr. Mark Martindale).

The Education Department Welcomes Summer Camp Intern Audrey Anderson

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Welcome to the Education Department's newest team member, Summer Camp Intern Audrey Anderson.

Sea Turtle Hospital Welcomes Summer Intern Isabelle Mercado

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Welcome to the Sea Turtle Hospital's newest team member, Summer Intern Isabelle Mercado.

Dr. Veronica Hinman Quoted in CNN Article about a Sea Cucumber with ‘Tissue Immortality’

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Whitney Laboratory Director and Professor of Biology Dr. Veronica Hinman provided expertise for a CNN Science article about Psolus fabricii.

Loesgen Lab welcomes Andrew Vasey

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Ph.D. Student Emily Skinner Receives Awards to Support her Research

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

UF News Article: How river DNA can track fish, frogs, fungi and human feces — all at once

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Grayce Dyer Named 2026 Maurice Moore Summer Fellow

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Sea Turtle Hospital Awarded Grant From Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program to Support Ultrasound System

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Action News Jax: UF Research into Sea Stars Could Help Unlock Human Regeneration of Cells

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Comprehensive spiralian genome paper published for the marine annelid Capitella teleta in Genome Biology and Evolution

Monday, April 27, 2026

The Seaver lab recently published a paper through an international collaboration in Genome Biology and Evolution.

Evenings at Whitney May 14

Thursday, April 23, 2026

An overview of arachnid (e.g., spiders; scorpions; daddy-longlegs) diversity, phylogeny, and the developmental genetics of key arachnid-specific traits.

Dr. David Duffy in Nature News Feature about Airborne DNA

Monday, April 20, 2026

Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics Dr. David Duffy was interviewed and provided expertise for an article in the Nature News Feature about airborne DNA. 

Sea Turtle Hospital Receives New Turtle Tanks

Friday, April 17, 2026

Thanks to a generous grant from the Sea Turtle Grants Program supporting our project, “Expanding Capacity for Sea Turtle Rehabilitation in Northeast Florida,” seven custom-designed fiberglass tanks were delivered

UF News: UF opens Whitney Marine Research Center, expanding marine science innovation in St. Augustine

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

The University of Florida celebrated the opening of its new Whitney Marine Research Center on April 14, marking a significant expansion of marine science research, education and conservation efforts at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience.

Loesgen and Strother Labs Paper Identifies New Therapeutic Leads to Treat Pain

Friday, April 10, 2026

Dr. David Duffy invited to speak at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona & interviewed by El Periódico

Friday, March 27, 2026

While in Barcelona, Dr. Duffy and his collaborator at the CRG, Dr. Maximilian Stammnitz, were interviewed by El Periódico, a major daily Spanish newspaper.

Evenings at Whitney April 7

Monday, March 23, 2026

Loesgen Lab Awarded Grant from the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen for her recent grant award from the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund!

Ibarra Castro Lab Welcomes Yu Jin Sim

Monday, March 9, 2026

Evenings at Whitney March 19

Monday, March 2, 2026

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “What we can learn about Life on Earth from studying its extremes? (From the cold of Antarctica to the heat of deep-sea hydrothermal vents)”.

Seaver Lab Publishes Paper and is Highlighted in the Journal Development

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Dr. James Liao - Featured Talk for St. Johns Reads

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

The Whitney Lecture - Feb. 11 (Gainesville) & Feb. 12 (St. Augustine)

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Speaker: Dr. Nancy Knowlton - Conservation Bright Spots: Making a Difference for Nature, Climate and People

Echinoderms as a Paradigm to Understand how Genome Organization Shapes Organismal Body Plans and their Evolution

Friday, January 16, 2026

A new study just published on Nature Ecology and Evolution has advanced our understanding of the principles dictating genome and gene regulation and evolution.

Sea Turtle Hospital Welcomes Winter Intern Ashlynn Kemp

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Ashlynn is a familiar face here at the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Dr. Christine Schnitzler Quoted in Newsweek Article about the "Immortal" Jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii

Monday, January 5, 2026

Dr. Christine Schnitzler was interviewed and provided expertise for a Newsweek article about the Jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii.

Evenings at Whitney January 15

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “10 Years of Sea Turtles, Tumors and Florida Wildlife Forensics at the UF Whitney Lab”. Dr. David Duffy will be the speaker.

Dr. Sandra Loesgen and Dr. James Strother Awarded Inaugural UF Chemistry Gator Angel Wing Award

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Congratulations to Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Sandra Loesgen and Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. James Strother for being awarded the inaugural UF Chemistry Gator Angel Wing Award!

Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Maui Released

Monday, December 22, 2025

Sea Turtle Hospital patient Maui returned to their ocean home on December 18! Maui was released at River to Sea Marineland Beach.

Schnitzler Lab: Expanded Atlas Furthers Understanding of Hydractinia Cellular Diversity and Dynamics

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Congratulations to the Schnitzler Lab on their recent publication in BMC Genomics, titled “An updated and spatially validated somatic single-cell atlas of Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus.”

Ph.D. Defense Success for Lauren Kunselman!

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Lauren Kunselman, a graduate student in the Department of Biology and mentored by Elaine Seaver, successfully defended her dissertation on October 29, 2025 and walked in the University of Florida doctoral graduation ceremony on December 12th. 

Center for Coastal Solutions Article: It’s raining clams! Seeding a comeback in the Indian River Lagoon

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

“Fixing the Indian River Lagoon or any ecosystem that provides enjoyment and livelihood for so many people gives me a purpose beyond my research and publishing papers,” said Todd Osborne.

Science by the Shore Symposium March 7, 2026 - Registration Now Open

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

We invite you to join us on Saturday, March 7th, for a day filled with scientific discussion and networking opportunities.

In the News: Whitney Laboratory and the Sea Turtle Hospital on Spectrum News 13

Thursday, November 20, 2025

In Flagler County, something new is on the horizon.

Evenings at Whitney December 11

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

When microscopic organisms swim in the ocean, they are also carried by turbulent ambient currents that often move faster than the tiny creatures can locomote.

Seaver Lab Welcomes Kalie Januszkiewicz

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Kalie will be working as a research technician in the Seaver Lab investigating how the putative stem cell cluster in Capitella teleta responds after amputation. 

Dr. David Duffy Gives Prestigious Merck Innovation Seminar

Monday, November 10, 2025

The seminar was titled, “Innovation in the air: Airborne DNA genomics for rapid assessment of whole biomes, genetic diversity, pathogen surveillance & drug discovery”.

Ibarra-Castro Lab Welcomes Savannah LaMendola-Centeno

Saturday, November 8, 2025

She joins the Ibarra-Castro lab as an intern assisting with broodstock operations.

10 Years of Healing Sea Turtles

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

What started as a vision in 2015 has grown into a decade of dedication, innovation, and ocean conservation.

Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Koh Samui Released

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Sea Turtle Hospital patient Koh Samui returned to their ocean home on October 14! Koh Samui was released at Tom Renick Park in Ormond Beach.

Cat Eastman Talks Turtles, Taste of the Fun Coast, and More on Flagler Broadcasting

Friday, October 24, 2025

The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Laboratory Program Manager Cat Eastman talks all things turtles, the Taste of the Fun Coast event on October 28, and more on Flagler Broadcasting!

Uniting Researchers: Martindale Lab Cassiopea Crew Participates in Workshop at the Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology in Japan

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The goal of this program is to unite researchers with diverse skill sets from around the globe to help understand changes in the marine environment.

Adopt a Washback Sea Turtle

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Join the Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Laboratory to help support hundreds of washback turtles cared for by hospital staff each season by symbolically adopting a washback this fall, named* by you!

Evenings at Whitney November 13

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “Smells drive interactions in the ocean, even for those without noses”. Dr. Julia Kubanek, School of Biological Sciences and School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, will be the speaker.

Strengthening Caribbean Aquaculture: Red Snapper Pilot Project Connects UF Whitney Lab and FAO Jamaica

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

To support this effort, FAO enlisted the help of Dr. Leonardo Ibarra-Castro of the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience

Whitney’s own Dr. James C. Liao selected as one of the 100 extraordinary biologists by the Company of Biologists

Monday, October 6, 2025

Whitney’s own Dr. James C. Liao selected as one of the 100 extraordinary biologists by the Company of Biologists for their centennial anniversary.

Evenings at Whitney October 9

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Beyond the Skeleton: Modeling the Soft Tissues of Dinosaurs and Why We Should Care with Dr. Emma Schachner, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida.

Now Hiring! Assistant/Associate Professor in Marine Bioscience

Monday, September 29, 2025

We seek a creative, collaborative scientist whose research harnesses or advances cutting-edge tools, including AI, data science, robotics, biophysics, computer vision, advanced imaging, multi-omics, chemical biology, and synthetic biology.

Townsend Scholar Studies Signaling Pathway During Regeneration

Sunday, September 28, 2025

I am so fortunate and grateful to have been selected as this year’s Townsend Scholar, as my combined experience from this summer and the summer prior in the Seaver Lab have truly inspired me to pursue higher education in this exciting field of research!

Whitney Graduate Student Association Elects New Officers

Thursday, September 25, 2025

The Whitney Graduate Student Association is committed to the betterment of life and professional development at the Whitney Lab.

Researching Seagrass Dynamics with the St. Johns River Water Management District

Monday, September 22, 2025

During this internship, his research explored the drivers behind this event, providing key insights into water quality/seagrass population dynamics, restoration stressors, and future management strategies for the Indian River Lagoon.

Sea Turtle Hospital Welcomes Fall Intern Cami Bender

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

She’s excited to switch things up and dive into sea turtle medicine and rehabilitation during this washback season.

Loesgen Lab Publishes Paper in the Flagship Journal for the International Society for Microbial Ecology

Monday, September 8, 2025

Their findings shine light on the microbiome of healthy Cnidarians and will aid in preservation efforts for these marine animals. 

Whitney Lab and High School Students Monitoring Local Waterways

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

The Whitney Laboratory is diving into the world of plankton with the launch of a citizen science opportunity for local high school students.

Loesgen, Strother, and Liao Labs Welcome Emily Lekas

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

She joins the lab as a research technician in the Loesgen, Strother, and Liao Labs.

Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment Helps Fund Trip to the Pan American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology Biennial Meeting

Thursday, August 28, 2025

This meeting was my first as a graduate student at Whitney Laboratory and gave me a chance to start presenting my projects in a professional setting.

Evenings at Whitney September 11

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

The University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “Little Particles for Big Diseases”. 

Sea Turtle Hospital Patients Tahiti and Skyros Released

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Sea Turtle Hospital patients Tahiti and Skyros returned to their ocean home in August! Tahiti was released in South Ponte Vedra and Skyros at Ormond by the Sea.

Dr. Leonardo Ibarra-Castro and Whitney Faculty Receive Award for State-of-the-Art Seawater System from the National Science Foundation

Thursday, August 14, 2025

This award will enable the construction of a state-of-the-art recirculating seawater system (RAS) that complements the existing open seawater facility, allowing precise control of environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity and nutrient levels.

Ph.D. Defense Success for Alicia Boyd!

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Alicia’s study utilized the segmented worm Capitella teleta, an animal whose juvenile and adult stages can regenerate multiple organs following transection.

Hinman Lab Welcomes Dr. Nick Christodoulides

Monday, August 11, 2025

Nick is a postdoctoral researcher focused on developing pipelines to improve orthology and expression analyses across echinoderm species, while broadening his skillset through experimental work in marine invertebrates.

Joe Mangun - 2025 Matthaei Ecological Scholar

Monday, August 4, 2025

The Carl and Marcella Matthaei Ecological Scholarship Fund at the Whitney Laboratory provides support for University of Florida scientists-in-training to have access to the Matanzas River Basin, where they can engage in its biodiversity, ecology, and conservation.

Whitney Faculty Jimmy Liao Gives a TED Talk about his Scientific and Personal Journey with Fish

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Dr. James Liao presented "What studying fish teaches me about human life" at the TEDxUF 2025 Conference on April 12.

Seaver Lab Hosts 2025 Townsend Scholar Priya Tomerlin

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Priya’s project in the Seaver lab focuses on a molecular signaling pathway, called the ERK signaling pathway, and its potential role in promoting regeneration in the marine worm Capitella teleta.

Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment Helps Fund Trip to One Ocean Science Congress

Monday, July 14, 2025

This global event brought together scientists, policymakers, and innovators committed to advancing ocean sustainability.

Dr. Todd Osborne Promoted to Full Professor

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Congratulations to Dr. Todd Osborne, Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry, who has received promotion to Full Professor from the University of Florida! 

Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Fort George Released

Thursday, July 3, 2025

This past Tuesday marked a truly unforgettable release for one of the Sea Turtle Hospital's long-term patients, Fort George — and what a send-off it was!

Dr. David Duffy Promoted to University of Florida Associate Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics with Tenure

Friday, June 27, 2025

We are pleased to announce that Whitney Faculty Dr. David Duffy was granted promotion and tenure by the University of Florida Board of Trustees to Associate Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics.

Saving Sea Turtles: Stories, Science and Community - Thursday, June 26

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Join us at the Whitney Lab to Celebrate Turtles and World Sea Turtle Day!

Sea Turtle Hospital Awarded Grant From Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program to Support New Turtle Tanks

Thursday, June 19, 2025

We are thrilled to announce that the Sea Turtle Hospital has received a generous grant from the Sea Turtle Grants Program to “Expand the Capacity for Sea Turtle Rehabilitation in Northeast Florida”.

UF Research Features Whitney Laboratory

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Secrets of the Seas - Whitney Lab scientists pursue ambitious marine-life discoveries

Welcome Whitney Summer Interns Emilia Cayelli and Mia Mitchell

Friday, June 13, 2025

Emilia Cayelli joins the Martindale Lab, Mia Mitchell joins the Osborne Lab.

Whitney Lab Campus Sustainability

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Did you know 45% of the Whitney Laboratory is powered by solar energy?

Sea Turtle Hospital Welcomes Summer Intern Madelin Eberle

Monday, June 9, 2025

She is excited to explore wildlife husbandry and gain hands-on experience in helping sea turtles this summer!

Loesgen Lab Welcomes Julia Sutton

Friday, June 6, 2025

She joins the Loesgen Lab as a visiting fellow this summer.

In Science: DNA captured from the air could track wildlife, invasive species—and humans

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

A study reveals the power of environmental DNA, vacuumed up from the air, which can track everything from elusive bobcats to illicit drugs.

Ph.D. Defense Success for Erin Marshall!

Monday, June 2, 2025

As a natural product chemist, she focused on the discovery of medicinal natural products produced by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi.

Seaver Lab Publishes Paper in Developmental Biology

Friday, May 30, 2025

The Seaver Lab published a new paper entitled “Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes posterior axial regeneration in non-regenerative tissue of the annelid Capitella teleta” in the journal Developmental Biology. 

Congratulations to Zain Khalid for Successfully Defending his Masters Thesis!

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Zain is a graduate student in the Strother Lab and his research examines how low-oxygen conditions affect neural activity in vertebrate animals using fishes as model organisms.

Whitney Lab Announces 2025 Center for Biological Imaging and Discovery Fellowships

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Congratulations to Raul Chavarria and Sue Xu for being named the Whitney Laboratory Center for Biological Imaging and Discovery (CBID) 2025 Fellows.

Dr. Emily Setton Receives Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology from the National Science Foundation

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Dr. Emily Setton recently received a three year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology from the National Science Foundation.

Diving into Discovery: Dr. Christine Schnitzler's Journey in Marine Biology, Regeneration and Evolution

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

From the Integrative and Comparative Biology blog post by Lisa Mesrop

May 8 - Evenings at Whitney Lecture with Whitney History Display, Gift Shop

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

May 8th Event in Partnership with the St. Augustine History Festival - Whitney Laboratory History Display / Gift Shop, 5 p.m., Evenings at Whitney Public Lecture Series, 6 p.m. Nature’s Repair Kit: The Science of Sea Star Regeneration

Sea Turtle Hospital Patients Kaffeklubben and Charles Island Released

Monday, April 21, 2025

Sea Turtle Hospital patients Kaffeklubben and Charles Island returned to their ocean home on April 15 at Marineland Beach, directly across the street from the Whitney Laboratory.

Whitney Lab Welcomes Karen Romas

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

She joins the lab as our Senior Director of Advancement.

Dr. James Liao to Speak at TEDxUF 2025 Conference April 12

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

TEDxUF’s 16th annual conference will convene visionaries and changemakers from diverse fields to explore how we can actively shape a future in constant flux.

Whitney Scientists Participate in Girls Can Empowerment Event

Thursday, April 3, 2025

The Girls Can event aims to connect female high school students with accomplished women in a variety of professional fields, offering mentorship and support.

Whitney Scientists Develop New Approach for Drug Discovery

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The scientists developed, tested, and verified a novel in vivo assay for analgesics (medications that relieve pain) using zebrafish larvae. 

CANCELLED - Evenings at Whitney April 10

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Beyond the Skeleton: Modeling the Soft Tissues of Dinosaurs and Why We Should Care with Dr. Emma Schachner, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida.

Liao Lab Welcomes Ruiheng Wu

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Ruiheng joins the Liao Lab as a Research Scholar.

Instrumental to Science - Martindale Lab

Thursday, March 20, 2025

This series, 'Instrumental to Science', gives a sampling of these 'high' and 'low' technologies that help Whitney biologists tease apart some of the most basic questions in biology research.

Liao Lab Welcomes Dr. Zihao Huang

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

He joins the Liao Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on fish schooling.

Liao Lab Welcomes Dr. Fan Yang

Thursday, March 13, 2025

She joins the Liao Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on unsteady fish behaviors.

Ibarra-Castro Lab Welcomes Geresa-Leigh Luke

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Geresa-Leigh joined the Ibarra-Castro Lab as an aquaculture technician. 

Dr. David Duffy in NY Times Article about Precision Wildlife Medicine

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Whitney Laboratory Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics Dr. David Duffy was interviewed and provided expertise for the article.

Martindale Lab Welcomes Dr. Claire Gabe

Monday, March 3, 2025

Please welcome Dr. Claire Gabe to the Whitney Lab! She joins the lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate.

Evenings at Whitney March 13

Friday, February 28, 2025

“Origins of Animals, Brains and Minds” with Dr. Leonid Moroz, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, Genetics, Biology, and Chemistry, UF Whitney Laboratory

Evenings at Whitney YouTube Link - The Illusion of Reliable Brain Function - How Does the Brain Detect Mistakes and Corrects Them?

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

If you missed our February Evenings at Whitney, "The Illusion of Reliable Brain Function - How Does the Brain Detect Mistakes and Corrects Them?” with Dr. Carlos Lois, Research Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology, the YouTube link is below.

Students Win Awards at the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting

Monday, February 24, 2025

Congratulations to graduate student Emily Skinner for winning the Best Poster Presentation award at the 2025 Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting! The meeting had 420 attendees, with Emily taking the top award out of 80 presented posters.

Martindale Lab Paper Reveals Insights into Ctenophore Development

Friday, February 21, 2025

To study this protein in the ctenophore species Mnemiopsis leidyi, Lucas Guttieres, Mayline Goëb and Mark Martindale with their collaborators at the University of Miami generated an antibody specifically targeting β-catenin in M. leidyi.  

Cup o’ Joe: The Road Trip Episode - to Whitney Laboratory!

Friday, February 21, 2025

Join University of Florida Interim Provost Joe Glover, Ph.D., on a frigid road trip to the beach to see what’s happening at the Whitney Lab!

Stand Up & Holler, It's Gator Nation Giving Day!

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Join together with the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience on Giving Day – your gift can directly impact our areas of greatest need. 2 Bits, 4 Bits, Every Bit Counts!

Lucas Guttieres Recipient of the Cynthia A. Melnick Memorial Fund Award

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Lucas' research is focused on the ancestral role of the protein ß-catenin in the metazoan evolution as viewed through the lens of embryogenesis in the ctenophore species Mnemiopsis leidyi.

Join us for the Whitney Lab 5K on April 13!

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Lace up your shoes for marine science and join us for this year’s Whitney Lab 5K!

Schnitzler Lab Welcomes Martin Winn

Monday, February 17, 2025

Please welcome Martin Winn to the Whitney Lab! He joins the as an Undergraduate Researcher.

Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment Helps Fund Trip to Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Conference

Friday, February 14, 2025

The Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment recently helped fund Dr. Ishani Mukherjee's trip to the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Conference.

Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Adrift Released

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Sea Turtle Hospital patient Adrift returned to their ocean home on February 3. They were released at River to Sea Preserve (Marineland Beach), directly across the street from the Whitney Laboratory.

Research In the News: Devil ray feeding inspires innovative filtration technologies

Monday, February 10, 2025

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. James Strother and Professor of Biology Dr. James Liao and colleagues whose publication “Filter feeding in devil rays is highly sensitive to morphology” in Proceedings of the Royal Society B was featured in Oceanographic Magazine.

Travel Awards Help Fund Trip to Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Conference

Friday, February 7, 2025

Congratulations to Alicia Boyd for receiving travel awards to fund her recent trip to the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Conference.

Kevin Silva Named to Whitney Laboratory Board of Trustees

Monday, February 3, 2025

Whitney Laboratory is pleased to announce that Kevin Silva has joined its Board of Trustees.

Evenings at Whitney February 13

Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “The Illusion of Reliable Brain Function - How Does the Brain Detect Mistakes and Corrects Them?”. Dr. Carlos Lois, Research Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology, will be the speaker.

Evenings at Whitney YouTube Link - From the Wilderness to the Research Laboratory: My Quest to Uncover the Mysterious Healing Properties of Plants

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

If you missed our January Evenings at Whitney, "From the Wilderness to the Research Laboratory: My Quest to Uncover the Mysterious Healing Properties of Plants” with Dr. Nadja B. Cech, Patricia A. Sullivan Professor of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Greensboro, the YouTube link is below.

Duffy Lab welcomes Emily Skinner

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Please welcome Emily Skinner to the Whitney Laboratory!  Emily is a Ph.D. student in the Duffy Lab.

Sponsor the Care of our Winter Turtles

Thursday, January 16, 2025

This time of year can be particularly challenging for our flippered friends. Cold air temperatures and offshore winds often push weakened sea turtles ashore.

Instrumental to Science - Seaver Lab

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

This series, 'Instrumental to Science', gives a sampling of these 'high' and 'low' technologies that help Whitney biologists tease apart some of the most basic questions in biology research.

Evenings at Whitney January 9

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “From the Wilderness to the Research Laboratory: My Quest to Uncover the Mysterious Healing Properties of Plants”. Dr. Nadja B. Cech, Patricia A. Sullivan Professor of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Greensboro, will be the speaker.

Epibiosis by Florida Crown Conch on Green Sea Turtles in a Northern Florida Estuary

Friday, December 27, 2024

We report the first observations of Melongena corona (Florida Crown Conch) as an epibiont attached to the carapace of juvenile Chelonia mydas (Green Sea Turtle).

Ph.D. Defense Success for Justin Waletich!

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Dr. Justin Waletich, a Ph.D. student from the Schnitzler lab, successfully defended his dissertation on November 5th. His work focused on describing the organization of stem cells in the colonial cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus.

Bailey Steinworth Defends her PhD with Flying Colors!

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Dr. Steinworth became interested in the biology of animals that have alternative methods of generating adult body plans. She chose to study the “upside down jellyfish” Cassiopea, an animal that can develop into a polyp from a fertilized egg OR from an asexual bud generated from an existing polyp.

Duffy Lab in Science News eDNA Article

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Plants and animals constantly shed DNA into the environment. Studying eDNA can help answer many different conservation questions. Congratulations to the Duffy Lab who was recently featured in the Science News article: Stray DNA is all around us. It could revolutionize conservation.

Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Releases

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

During complete veterinary exams with Dr. Brooke, we announced that some of the Sea Turtle Hospital's fan favorites — Baywatch, Goldfinger, and Birdcage — were all cleared for release after receiving a clean bill of health.

Evenings at Whitney December 12

Friday, November 29, 2024

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “From Jellyfish to Sharks: Ocean Swimmers Provide the Blueprints for Next-Gen Underwater Vehicles”. Dr. Brad Gemmell, Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, will be the speaker.

Join us December 13 for Whitney Magnified - Art of Science

Friday, November 22, 2024

This event, benefitting Whitney's Graduate Student Association, is a silent auction fundraiser showcasing original art created by marine researchers at UF Whitney Laboratory.

Ibarra Castro Lab welcomes Josue Cardiel

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Please welcome Josue Cardiel to the Whitney Laboratory! Josue joined the Ibarra Castro Lab as a visiting research scholar.

Study Highlights Rising Threat of Tumor Disease in Sea Turtles

Monday, November 18, 2024

A published study by the Research and Hospital Team (Whilde et al. 2024) sheds light on the growing threat of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a tumor disease affecting sea turtles around the world, particularly green turtles.

Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment Helps Fund Trip to Cell and Developmental Biology Conference

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The Bailey-Niblett Family Endowment recently helped fund Lucas Guttieres' trip to the conference “From Cells to Organism: When Cell Biology Meets Development” in Paris, France.

Hitchhiking bryozoans on sea turtles from southeastern United States to Honduras

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Congratulations to Sea Turtle Hospital Program Manager Cat Eastman and colleagues who published an article in Bulletin of Marine Science - "Hitchhiking bryozoans (Gymnolaemata) on sea turtles (Cheloniidae) from southeastern United States to Honduras".

Support the Sea Turtle Hospital - Adopt a Washback Sea Turtle until October 31

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Thank you to all who have joined us to support washback sea turtles cared for by the Sea Turtle Hospital staff each year by Adopting a Washback, each symbolically named! We are getting closer to our goal, and adoptions are only available until October 31, so don't delay!

Seaver Lab Paper selected for Cover Image

Saturday, October 26, 2024

The Seaver Lab's summer paper, that characterizes chaetal formation in the segmented worm Capitella teleta, made the cover image of the Journal of Morphology!

Adopt a Washback Sea Turtle!

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Join the Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Laboratory to help support hundreds of washback turtles cared for by hospital staff each season by symbolically adopting a washback this fall, named* by you! When a gift of $20 or more is made to support the Sea Turtle Hospital, you will receive an email with your personalized washback adoption certificate.

Sea Turtle Patient Aquamarine Released

Monday, October 21, 2024

Ahead of Hurricane Milton a staff favorite and one of our sponsorship patients Aquamarine was released at Butler Beach.

Dr. Leonid Moroz in NY Times article about far-reaching importance of ctenophore research for biomedicine

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Dr. Leonid Moroz was interviewed and provided expertise for the NY Times Science Article When Two Sea Aliens Become One - Primitive animals called comb jellies can fuse their bodies and nervous systems together

Evenings at Whitney November 14

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “Florida Loves Manatees: A Cultural History of Manatees in Florida”. Dr. Steven Noll, Instructional Professor, Department of History at the University of Florida, will be the speaker.

Liao Lab welcomes Circiumariu Dragos

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

He joins the Liao Lab as a research scholar, funded by the European project 'iNavigate'. During his stay, he is interested in developing hardware and software to remotely monitor the movement of fishes.