Osborne Lab News

PhD Student Taryn Chaya Publishes in MDPI

 Chaya, Taryn

Congratulations to Taryn Chaya, Ph.D. student in the Osborne Lab for her recent publication on her MS research, "Assessing Water Quality Dynamics in Tidally Influenced Blackwater Rivers along a Rural–Urban Gradient" in MDPI. Read More


Osborne Lab Welcomes Lexis Massey

Massey, Lexis

Please welcome Lexis Massey to Whitney Lab! Lexis joins the Osborne lab to pursue a M.S. in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences working with slow-release phosphorus fertilizers. Read More


Dr. Todd Osborne in Brevard Zoo's Restore Our Shores Residential Clam Restoration Project video

Video snippet of Dr. Todd Osborne

The Residential Clam Restoration project is using "super clams" to help restore filter-feeding clam populations throughout the Indian River Lagoon. Read More


Palm Coast Observer Article - Adults participate in ‘science camp’ at Whitney Lab

Man measuring soil in a lab, photo credit: Christine Rodenbaugh

Summer camp sign-ups are coming to a close — for grade school students. But adult learners still have opportunities to engage in Lifelong Learning Workshops at the UF Whitney Laboratory. Attendees at March 18 workshop learned about the impacts of phosphorus and nitrogen on estuaries and wetlands. Read More


Osborne Lab welcomes Taryn Chaya

 Chaya, Taryn

Please welcome Taryn Chaya back to Whitney Lab! Taryn returns to the Osborne Lab to pursue a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology, with a concentration in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences. Read More


Osborne and Ibarra-Castro Labs Welcome Jon Rueben

Rueben, Jon

Please welcome Jon Rueben to the Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined the Osborne and Ibarra-Castro Labs as a Biological Scientist. Read More


First Coast News Story on Clam Larvae released into the Matanzas River

Microscopic clams viewed under a microscope

Thank you SACA for your support to help raise and release 40 million clam larvae into the Matanzas River! A portion of this amount was released during the First Coast News filming on boats provided by the Whitney Laboratory and the Matanzas Riverkeeper. Read More


Osborne Lab Paper Reveals Product to Enhance Seagrass Restoration

Scientist in tank with research experiment equipment

Congratulations to Postdoctoral Research Associate Conor MacDonnell, Ph.D., Todd Osborne, Ph.D., Anna Beard, and colleagues who published a paper in Science of the Total Environment -"Use of a wastewater recovery product (struvite) to enhance subtropical seagrass restoration" A news story covering the research was also recently in Futurity. Read More


Osborne Lab welcomes Sean Westley

Westley, Sean

Please welcome Sean Westley to the Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined the Osborne Lab as a Research Technician. Read More


Osborne Lab Welcomes Dr. Conor MacDonnell

 MacDonnell, Connor

Please welcome Dr. Conor MacDonnell to Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined the Osborne Lab as a postdoctoral research associate. Conor MacDonnell is a marine ecologist with a focus in seagrasses, an important ecosystem for both our charismatic megafauna and our coastal communities. Read More


Dr. Todd Osborne and Citizen Scientist Dr. Eric Smith on NBC News NOW

Dr. Todd Osborne holding clams

Dr. Todd Osborne talks Oyster and Clam Restoration on NBC News NOW along with oyster restoration citizen scientist Dr. Eric Smith who shares how citizen scientists are helping restore the reefs. Read More


Osborne Lab Welcomes Summer Intern Kendall Breland

 Breland, Kendall

Please welcome Kendall Breland back to Whitney Laboratory! She joins Dr. Todd Osborne's lab for another summer internship. Read More


Ibarra-Castro and Osborne Labs welcome Catalina Williams

 Williams, Catalina

Please welcome Catalina Williams to Whitney Laboratory! She recently joined the Ibarra-Castro and Osborne Labs as an aquaculture technician. Read More


100,000 clams planted in the Indian River Lagoon on Earth Day

IRL Clam Restoration team

Whitney Laboratory joined with Star Brite Solutions, Coastal Conservation Association Florida, and the IRL Clam Restoration Project to plant 100,000 clams, along with dozens of red mangroves, in the Indian River Lagoon on Earth Day! The clams planted on Friday added to the 13 million clams put into the lagoon over the last three years. Read More


Two Million Red Drum Larvae Released into the Indian River Lagoon

Crew preparing to release 2 million red drum larvae into the Indian River Lagoon

Fish release - round two! Two million red drum larvae went into the Indian River Lagoon this week with the help of Blair Wiggins Outdoors, Jamie Glasner, Star Brite Solutions, Fishbites, Retrax, Whitney Laboratory Osborne Lab members Dr. Todd Osborne, Sabrina Schofield and Norman Kolsch. Read More


Osborne Lab Welcomes Sean Goggin

Goggin, Sean

Please welcome Sean Goggin to Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined Dr. Todd Osborne's lab as a Laboratory Technician. Read More


Sip 'N Science YouTube Link - Using Native Shellfish to Improve Water Quality & Economic Resiliency in the Indian River Lagoon

Prepping aquaculture leases for outplanting of clams

If you missed our Sip 'N Science recently with Dr. Todd Osborne the webinar is now on our YouTube channel. Read More


Whitney Sip 'N Science Free Webinar April 22 - Dr. Todd Osborne | Using native shellfish to improve water quality and economic resiliency in the Indian River Lagoon

Sip N Science Osborne

Join us on Earth Day for our April Webinar! Dr. Todd Osborne will share the current Indian River lagoon Clam Restoration initiative that combines proven aquaculture techniques with sound science to bring clams back into their role as water purifiers on Florida’s Space Coast. Read More


Dr. Todd Osborne in Florida Today

Clams

Dr. Todd Osborne and the Indian River Lagoon Clam Restoration Team were recently featured in the Florida Today article - Transplanted 'super clams' thrive, sparking hope of cleansing gunked-up Indian River Lagoon. Read More


Osborne Lab Publishes Paper in Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Mangrove

Congratulations to Whitney visiting researcher Dr. Hailey Craig, Dr. Todd Osborne and previous Osborne lab Postdoc Dr. Lorae Simpson who recently published a paper titled "Nitrogen addition alters composition, diversity, and functioning of microbial communities in mangrove soils: An incubation experiment" in Soil Biology and Biochemistry where they looked at N enrichment effects in mangrove soils. Read More


Two Million Clams Deployed to Date for Indian River Lagoon Restoration

Two men deploying clams into the Indian River Lagoon

Whitney’s Clams Restoration was in action on Friday, June 26 at a project site in the Northern Indian River Lagoon. Nearly 60,000 clams were deployed, bringing to date almost two million clams that have been raised by Whitney Laboratory and deployed to help improve water quality! Read More


Osborne Lab Recent Clams Deployment at the Indian River Lagoon Covered by Florida Today

Clams in baskets on shoreline before deployment

Dr. Todd Osborne talks with Florida Today about the Indian River Lagoon Clam Restoration Initiative and the recent planting of 56,000 baby clams in the IRL. Read More


UF News Story: Closed but still Caring

Whitney Laboratory Staff

Our essential staff keep us going in tough times! How the people of UF's Whitney Laboratory protected their animals — and each other — during COVID-19. Read More


New Oyster Restoration Initiative Video is Live

Core modules used in Whitney Laboratory's Oyster Restoration Initiative

The Whitney Laboratory Oyster Restoration Initiative is a community-based program to engage citizen scientists, advance our understanding of oyster ecology and restore local oyster habitats in our coastal ecosystem. Read More


Dr. Schafer and Dr. Osborne Publish Paper in Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Impacts of hurricane disturbance on water quality diagram

Congratulations to recent Whitney Ph.D. graduate Dr. Tracey Schafer and Whitney Laboratory's Dr. Todd Osborne who recently published a paper in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering titled "Impacts of Hurricane Disturbance on Water Quality across the Aquatic Continuum of a Blackwater River to Estuary Complex." Read More


Millions of Red Drum Larvae Spawned at Whitney Released

Ibarra Castro and Osborne Lab Members release juvenile red drum into the Matanzas River

Last week the Ibarra-Castro Lab (Dr. Leonardo Ibarra-Castro, Dr. Samantha Koda and Maddie Morrison) and Osborne Lab (Dr. Todd Osborne and Sean Goggin) along with Whitney staff released red drum larvae into the Matanzas River close to the Whitney Laboratory. Read More


Tracey Schafer of the Osborne Lab Defends her PhD!

Tracey Schafer

On February 7, Tracey Schafer, a graduate student in the Osborne Lab gave her exit seminar entitled “Hurricane Impacts on Water Quality and Dissolved Organic Matter Cycling Along an Aquatic Continuum” and successfully earned her Ph.D. Read More


Osborne Lab Manager Anna Thornton Featured in Daytona State College Magazine

Magazine Article

Congratulations to Osborne Lab Manager Anna Thornton who was recently featured in Daytona State College Magazine's Alumni Profiles. Anna graduated from Daytona State College before transferring to Stetson University where she earned her BS in Marine Biology. Read More


Taryn Chaya Joins the Osborne Lab

Taryn Chaya

Please welcome Taryn Chaya to Whitney Laboratory! Taryn recently joined Dr. Todd Osborne’s lab, working on a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology. She will be working on the iCoast project, maintaining the advanced water sensors in the intracoastal, while collecting and analyzing the ensuing data. Read More


Whitney's Todd Osborne Promoted to University of Florida Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry with Tenure

Dr. Todd Osborne

We are pleased to announce that Whitney Faculty Dr. Todd Osborne was granted promotion and tenure by the University of Florida Board of Trustees to Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry. Read More


Osborne Lab and Partners Breeding Clams for Indian River Lagoon Restoration

Clams

Take a look at our one million babies! We are raising special brood clam stock to help restore the Indian River Lagoon with our partners. Read More


Whitney Laboratory to Hold Oyster Gardening Workshops

Oyster Cages off Dock

Whitney Laboratory is seeking volunteers to become oyster gardeners as part of the lab’s oyster restoration initiative. Gardeners will grow, maintain and record data on their oyster habitats for one year, then return the oysters to the lab for use in restoration projects. Read More


Welcome: Phil Cubbedge

Phil Cubbedge

Please welcome Phil Cubbedge, who joins the Whitney Laboratory to assist with oyster and clam restoration projects. Read More


Whitney Oyster Workshop for "New" Gardeners on Oct. 25

Become an oyster gardener! The University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience is seeking volunteers to become oyster gardeners as part of the lab’s oyster restoration initiative. Read More


Local scientists: Algae issues possible here North Florida

The St. Augustine Record


Could toxic red tide move farther north to St. Johns County?

The St. Augustine Record


Todd Osborne Receives 2018 University of Florida Water Institute Faculty Fellowship

Congratulations to Todd Osborne, assistant professor of biogeochemistry at Whitney Laboratory, for being selected as a 2018 University of Florida Water Institute Faculty Fellow. Read More


Whitney Lab's Todd Osborne Honored with Excellence Award for Assistant Professors

Congratulations to Dr. Todd Osborne, assistant professor of biogeochemistry at Whitney Lab, for receiving the Excellence Award for Assistant Professors of the University of Florida. A four-member committee reviewed the nominations, and the honor was awarded based on quality and innovativeness of the research. Read More


Upcoming Oyster Gardener Workshops

Whitney Lab is seeking volunteers to become oyster gardeners as part of the lab’s oyster restoration initiative. Read More


Welcome Anna Thornton to Whitney Laboratory!

Anna Thornton

Please welcome Anna Thornton to Whitney Laboratory! Anna has a Bachelor of Science from Stetson University with a focus in marine biology. In her undergrad career she focused her research on the aerial respiration of the juvenile armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus). Read More


Dr. Nick Ward joins the Osborne Lab

Dr. Nick Ward joins the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience as a Research Scientist in the Osborne Lab. Read More


Kaylee has Joined the Whitney Lab Team!

Kaylee August

Please welcome Kaylee to Whitney Laboratory! Kaylee is a second-year master’s student from the Soil and Water Sciences Department. She is joining Dr. Osborne’s lab as a graduate student until summer of 2018. Read More


Welcome to the Whitney Lab!

Six people

Whitney Laboratory has several new faces this Fall! Please take a moment to read about our newest colleagues below, and join me in welcoming them to Whitney. Welcome, newcomers! Read More


Dr. Todd Osborne Featured in St. Augustine Record Article and Mangrove & Macrobenthos Meeting

Whitney Laboratory’s Todd Osborne was featured in an article published on July 19, 2016, in The St. Augustine Record about his research on mangrove ecosystems and his involvement in the Mangrove & Macrobenthos Conference at Flagler College from July 18-22, 2016. Read More


Mangroves draw scientists to Ancient City

St. Augustine Record


Whitney Staff & Volunteers Help Recover Oyster Gardens After Hurricane Matthew

The Whitney Oyster Restoration Initiative began its program this past September with 53 oyster gardeners. These citizen scientists hung two oyster habitats filled with baby oysters from their docks and began recording data and watching their babies grow. Read More


The Resilience of Oyster Gardens After Hurricane Matthew

Here is an amazing story about the survival of an oyster garden after Hurricane Matthew from one of our dedicated volunteer oyster gardeners, Mary. After Hurricane Matthew, it was so amazing to find one of my gardens and retrieve it during low tide. Read More


Volunteers Needed to Become Oyster Gardeners

The University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory is seeking volunteers to become oyster gardeners as part of the lab’s oyster restoration initiative. Gardeners will grow, maintain and record data on their oyster habitats for about one year, then return the oysters to the lab for use in restoration projects. Read More