We host a monthly aquatics seminar series, typically on a Thursday during each month of the fall and spring semesters. Seminars historically took place in lecture halls on the UF College of Veterinary Medicine campus but are currently being offered through Zoom. A list of previous speakers and topics is below and recording links are provided when available.

To be added to our e-mail list for upcoming seminar announcements, please contact our Program Assistant.

Previous Seminars

Spring 2021 Seminar Series

• February 11th  – Bob Bonde, PhD – “Manatee Health and Risk Assessment: Tools for the Future”
• February 25th – Margaret Hunter, PhD – “Genetic and Genomic Analyses to Inform Manatee Research and Conservation”
• March 11th – Dr. Lynne Sneddon, PhD – “Fish Pain Perception“
• April 8th – Dr. Brian Key, PhD – “Absence of Evidence of Fish Pain is Evidence of Absence“
• April 22nd – Dr. Susan Fogelson, DVM, PhD, DACVP – “Mortality Events and Emerging Pathogens Affecting Wild Fish Populations“
• May 6th – Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM – “Manatee Medicine: Critical Care and Rehabilitation“

Fall 2020 Seminar Series

• September 17th  – Andy Garrett – “The Manatee Rescue Network”
• November 19th – Anmari Alvarez-Aleman, PhD – “Research and Conservation of Antillean Manatees in Cuba”
• November 24th – Monica Ross, MS – “Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership Post-Release Monitoring”

Spring 2020 Seminar Series

• January 23rd  – Sofia Danford – “Comparison of different fixation and staining techniques on the morphometric assessment of Florida manatees”
• January 23rd – Natalie Stephens – “Histomorphometric analysis of the accessory sex glands in male Florida manatees”
• February 13^th –Sea of Shadows screening event and a Q&A session with Dr. Randy Wells, PhD – No recording available
• February 27^th– Oscar Wahltinez – “Data Preparation and Feature Engineering”

Fall 2019 Seminar Series

• September 5^th – Dr. Chelsey Crandall, PhD – “Human Dimensions of Aquatic Animal Conservation: Values, Attitudes, and Behavior” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Crandall’s lecture
• September 25^th – Dr. Andy Stamper, DVM – “Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Community Action in Great Abaco, the Bahamas” Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Stamper’s lecture
• October 10^th – Dr. Amanda Duffus, PhD – “Amphibian Biology: A Brief Introduction” and “Emerging Infections of Amphibians: The Chytrids and Ranavirus“
• October 25^th – Dr. Esther Peters, PhD – “Considering Coral Health in the Anthropocene”
• November 7^th – Dr. Robin Bast, DVM – “Be Gull-able: Seabird Medicine Revealed” Click here to watch a lecture of Dr. Bast’s lecture

Spring 2019 Seminar Series

• January 8^th – Dr. Christopher Marshall, PhD – “Ecological Morphology of Sirenian Feeding and Foraging”
• January 17^th – Dr. Shirley Baker, PhD – “The Wild and Wonderful World of Marine Invertebrates” – Click here to watch a lecture of Dr. Baker’s lecture (Part 1) and Click here to watch Part 2 of the lecture
• February 15^th – Dr. Jim Wellehan, DVM – “Manatee Virology” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Wellehan’s lecture
• February 28^th – Dr. Peter Black, DVM – “Avian Orthopedics”  – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Black’s lecture
• March 21^st – Dr. Randy Wells, PhD – “Dolphin Field Research” and “Life History and Natural History of Odontocete Cetaceans” – No recording available
• March 28^th – Dr. Maia Mcguire, PhD – “The Problems with Plastics in the Ocean” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Mcguire’s lecture
• April 11th – Dr. John Harvey, PhD – “Serum Iron Analytes and Serum Proteins in Healthy and Diseased Manatees” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Harvey’s lecture

Fall 2018 Seminar Series

• August 23^rd – Dr. Don Behringer, PhD – “Conservation and Restoration in Aquatic Ecosystems”
• September 20^th – Dr. Robert Ossiboff, DVM – “Correlating Pathology and Clinical Disease in Amphibians”
• November 15^th – Jonathan Cowart, PhD candidate – “New insights into the reproductive physiology of male West Indian manatees” – No recording available

Spring 2018 Seminar Series

• January 25th – Michael Jepson, PhD “The Evolution of Social Science in Fishery Management: Improving Social Impact Assessments” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Jepson’s lecture
• February 22nd – Thais Rodrigues, PhD “Retrospective Pathological Survey of Pulmonary Disease in Free-Ranging Amazon River Dolphins and Tucuxis” – Click here to watch a recording of Thais Rodrigues’s lecture
• April 26th – Andy Stamper, DVM “Feeling the Burn: Ocean Warming and Acidification Current Trends, Possibilities, and How it Might Impact Wildlife and People” – Click here to watch a recording of Dr. Stamper’s lecture
• May 3rd – Ann Weaver, PhD “Strained Survival at Sea: Case Studies of Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins that Defied Death” – Lecture not recorded

Fall 2017 Seminar Series

• September 28th – Dr. David Rotstein, DVM “Manatee Pathologic Findings from A to Z”
• October 5th – Aristide Takoukam, PhD(c) “African Manatee Conservation Efforts in Cameroon Central Africa”
• November 30th – Megan Stolen, MS “Understanding U.S. Fishery Interactions with Marine Mammals” – Click here to watch a video recording of Megan Stolen’s lecture

Spring 2017 Seminar Series

• January 24- Dr. Craig Pelton, DVM “Sirenian Health Assessments: Florida manatees down under to Dugongs”
• February 2nd – Dr. Shane Boylan, DVM – “Aquatic Cases” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Boylan’s lecture
• March 7th – Dr. James Nifong, PhD “Drivers of Ecological Change in Florida’s Spring Ecosystems: Past, Present and Future”  – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Nifong’s lecture
• April 20th – Dr. Katie Tripp, PhD “Florida Manatees at the Crossroads of Science, Policy, Advocacy & Politics” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Tripp’s lecture

Fall 2016 Seminar Series

• September 28th – Dr. Lucy Keith Diagne, PhD “African Manatee Research and Conservation” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Diagne’s lecture
  
• October 18th- Dr. Michelle Davis, DVM “SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Stranding and Rehabilitation Programs”-  Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Davis’s lecture
• November 15th- Megan Stolen, MS “Cetacean Stranding Investigations: Conservation from the Inside Out” – Click here to watch a video recording of Megan Stolen’s lecture
• November 22nd- Dr. Amanda Ardente, DVM, PhD “An Introduction to Aquatic Nutrition” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Ardente’s lecture
• December 6th- Dr. Francis-Floyd, DVM “The Diadema Story… The Mystery of its Demise, It’s Ecological Importance to Coral Reefs, and Preparing for Release of Cultured Animals” –  Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Francis-Floyd’s lecture
  

Spring 2016 Seminar Series

• Jan 27th- Dr. Amanda Duffus, PhD “Amphibian Declines: A Sad Fact Of Modern Times” –  Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Duffus’s lecture
  
• Feb 8th- Dr. Judy St. Leger, DVM “Stories and Lesions in Marine Mammal Pathology” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. St. Leger’s lecture
• March 30th- Dr. Gordon Bauer, PhD “Sensory World of Manatees” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Bauer’s lecture
• April 13th- Dr. Bob Bonde, PhD “Manatee Health Assessments” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Bonde’s lecture
• May 18th- Dr. Doug Mader, DVM “Endoscopy in Sea Turtles”

Fall 2015 Seminar Series

• June 4th- Dr. Ellen Ariel, PhD “Turtle Tribulations in Australia” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Ariel’s lecture
• Sept 9th- Dr. Michael Walsh, DVM “Post Mortem Imaging, For Data Collection And Necropsy Enhancement In Dolphins”
• Oct 21st- Adrian Cerezo, “Translating Animals: Communicate Your Scientific Knowledge (about animals) To Make A Difference (and promote sustainable development)” – Click here to watch a video recording of Adrian Cerezo’s lecture
• Nov 4th- Dr. Iske Larkin, PhD “Conservation Issues of Aquatic Animals” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Larkin’s lecture
• Dec 2015– Dr. Elizabeth Pienaar, “What Insights Does Economics Have For Marine Mammal Conservation? Using Economics To Inform Conservation Policy” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Pienaar’s lecture

Spring 2015 Seminar Series

• Jan 28th – Nancy Denslow, PhD “Environmental Contaminants alter Molecular Pathways in Exposed Aquatic Organisms” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Denslow’s lecture
• Feb 25th – Julie Avery, PhD “Nature, Nutrition, and the Environment:  The Ecophysiology of Differential Growth Strategies Among Phocids” – Click here to view a PDF of Dr. Avery’s presentation
  
• Mar 11th – David Rostein, DVM “Marine Mammal Pathology: Dynamics of the Aquatic Environment” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Rostein’s lecture
• April 8th- Dr. Amanda Duffus, PhD “The Diversity and Distribution of Amphibian Ranaviruses” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Duffus’s lecture

Fall 2014 Seminar Series

• Sep 24th – Alissa Deming, MS, DVM “National Marine Mammal Foundation Internship: Navy Marine Mammal Program/ SeaWorld” (lecture not recorded)
• Oct 22nd – Patrick Larkin, PhD “Genomic Applications in Environmental Toxicology” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Larkin’s lecture
• Nov 12th – Mark Cunningham, DVM “Emerging Diseases of Aquatic Birds” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Cunningam’s lecture
• Dec 3rd – Katy Everett, PhD “Human Dimensions of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Everett’s lecture

Spring 2014 Seminar Series

• Feb 3rd – Matt Gray, PhD “Ranaviruses: Cry Wolf or Real Threat?” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Gray’s lecture
• Feb 26th – Laurie Richardson, PhD  “Challenges and Approaches to the Study of Coral Health and Disease” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Richardson’s lecture
• Mar 26th – John Reynolds, PhD “Aquatic Animal Health in a Changing World: What is a health professional to do?” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Reynold’s lecture
• Apr 16th – Michael Walsh, DVM “The Use of Phage Therapy For Treatment of Drug Resistant Bacteria in Animals: Challenges and Opportunities” (lecture not recorded)
  

Fall 2013 Seminar Series

• Aug. 21st – Iske Larkin, PhD “Conservation Issues of Aquatic Animals” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Larkin’s lecture
• Sept 18th – Jim Jawitz, PhD, PE “What is causing the changes we are seeing in Florida’s spring ecosystems?“
• Oct 30th – Martine de Wit, DVM “Manatee mortality events of 2013” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. de Wit’s lecture
• Nov 20th – Michelle Davis, DVM, DACZM “SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Stranding & Rehabilitation Programs” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Davis’s lecture
• Nov 26th – Carolina Garcia, DVM “Veterinary Medicine in the Galapagos” – Click here to view a PDF of Dr. Garcia’s presentation

Spring 2013 Seminar Series

• Feb. 6th – Michael Jepson, PhD “Social Science in Fishery Management: The requirements and need for social impact assessments” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Jepson’s lecture
• Mar 27th – Jan Landsberg, PhD “Harmful Algae in Florida: Risks for aquatic animals” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Landsberg’s lecture

Fall 2012 Seminar Series

• Sept 26th – John Harvey, DVM, PhD, DACVP “Serum Iron Analytes in Healthy and Ill Manatees” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Harvey’s lecture
• Oct 24th- Andy Stamper, DVM, DACZM “Ocean Acidification and Warming: Our other CO2 Challenge” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Stamper’s lecture
• Nov 14th – Terry Fei Fan Ng, PhD “Metagenomics-based Virus Hunting in Aquatic Animals: Characterization of novel virus species, genera, and families” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Fei Fan Ng’s lecture

Spring 2012 Seminar Series

• Jan 18th – Thomas O’Shea, PhD “Historical Overview of Florida Manatee Research and Conservation: A background to contemporary issues, responsibilities, and directions”
• Jan 23rd – Rick Linnehan, DVM “From the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program to NASA: My experiences as a veterinarian”
• Feb 15th – Joe Geraci, DVM “Marine Mammal Conservation Medicine: 40 years of studies and stories” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dr. Geraci’s lecture
• Feb 16th – Dawda Saine “West African Manatees in the Republic of The Gambia” – Click here to watch a video recording of Dawda Saine’s lecture
• Mar 28th – Holly Edwards, PhD “Assessing Manatee Distribution and Abundance from Aerial Surveys“

Fall 2011 Seminar Series

• Sept 28th – Chip Deutsch, PhD “Manatee Movements Across Multiple Scales of Space and Time: Insights gained through satellite-linked telemetry”
• Oct 26th – Gordon Bauer, PhD “Sensory Perception in the Florida Manatee”
• Nov 2nd – Meghan Bills, MS “Description of the Chemical Senses of the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Relation to Reproduction”
• Dec 6th – Lara Hortsmann-Dehn, PhD “Artic Tales of Seals and Whales”

Spring 2011 Seminar Series

• Jan 26th – Lucy Keith “West African Manatee Research“
• Feb 9th – Craig Pelton, DVM “An overview of oiled sea turtle rehabilitation in Louisiana“
• Mar 2nd – Lydia Staggs, DVM “2010: The year of the sea turtle“
• Apr 13th – Jonna Mazet, DVM, MPVM, PhD “One Health in an Academic Environment: Responding to wildlife health issues at the human-animal-environment interface“

Fall 2010 Seminar Series

• Sept 22nd – Mike Walsh, DVM “Sedation Development for Intervention of Severely Entangled Right Whales: How clinical applications contribute to wildlife conservation“
• Oct 20th – Sharon Deem, DVM, PhD, DACZM “Challenges and Opportunities for Global Conservation Medicine“.
• Nov 3rd – Mark Flint, BVSc, MApplSc, MPhil, PhD “Conservation of Australia’s Shores: Sea Turtle Research“.
• Dec 2nd – Terry Norton, DVM “The Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Rehabilitation, research, education, and conservation“

Spring 2010 Seminar Series

• Jan 27th – Carmen Colitz, DVM, PhD, DACVO “Common Ophthalmic Problems in Marine Mammals“
• Feb 17th – Micah Brodsky, VMD “How not to get a job in the wildlife field: Right experience, wrong choices“
• April 7th – Don Samuelson, PhD “Visual Systems of Marine Mammals”

Fall 2009 Seminar Series

• Sept 9th – Heather Hamlin, PhD “Nitrate in Aquaculture“
• Sept 16th – Buddy Powell, PhD “Manatee Research and Conservation in Cuba“
• Nov 4th – Brian Stacy, DVM, DAVCP, PhD “Trouble in the Land of the Bandit Queen: Investigation of gharial mortality in India“
• Dec 2nd – Milton Levin, MS, PhD “Aquatic Immunotoxicology: What have we learned?“

Spring 2009 Seminar Series

• Jan 14th – Scott Citino, DVM (White Oak Conservation Center/ Gilman International Conservation), Mark Davis, DVM and Paul Reillo, PhD (both from Rare Species Conservatory Foundation) “Repatriation and recovery of Kenya’s Mountain Bongo Antelope“
• March 18th – Laurie Gage, DVM “Medical insights from a USDA veterinarian: Pinnipeds, Cats and other Exotic Species“
• March 18th – Janet Whaley, DVM “Marine Mammal Rescue 911 – An overview of the NOAA Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program“
• April 1st – Don Behringer, PhD “The epidemiology and ecological relevancy of a novel disease in the Caribbean spiny lobster“
• April 29th – Chris Torno, DVM, MS “Cetacean Stranding Response in the  Philippines“

Fall 2008 Seminar Series

• Oct 7th – Ramiro Isaza, DVM, MS   “Elephants: A new aquatic species?“
• Nov 4th – Ray Davis, BS “A lifetime of innovation in the aquarium industry“
• Dec 2nd – Andy Kane, PhD “Environmental Mycobacteria: Fish tell part of the story“