The University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience 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)”. Dr. Donal T. Manahan, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, will be the speaker.
This free lecture will be presented in person at the UF Whitney Laboratory Lohman Auditorium, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, in St. Augustine. Those interested also have the option of registering to watch via Zoom live the night of the lecture.
Register to watch online: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N8JezRNrQj-8r3M_tnN8ZQ
The vast majority of the living biosphere on Planet Earth is cold –– extensive deep-sea environments linked with cold ocean flow from polar regions. In this lecture, biological strategies of adaptation and resilience for life in what we consider to be “extreme environments” will be discussed. The insights gained from such research will be presented in the context of the evolution of life on Earth and emergent biotechnologies from novel discoveries.
Donal Manahan is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. His research expertise is in environmental physiology and metabolism of marine animals. His Bachelor’s degree in zoology is from Trinity College Dublin (The University of Dublin); his Ph.D. is from the University of Wales (Bangor, UK) in environmental physiology. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in comparative physiology at the University of California, Irvine. The geographic feature “Manahan Peak” in Antarctica is named in recognition of his contributions to research and education. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a lifetime-appointed National Associate of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. A selected list of his publications can be viewed at –– https://dornsife.usc.edu/profile/donal-manahan/
Image Caption: Donal Manahan diving in Antarctica