St. Johns County has a proud tradition, after litigation, of protecting sea turtles. Alert citizens are on the job, and I salute them. Thanks to Nicole Crosby, et al. I fondly remember former Whitney Lab scientist, yDr. Paul Linder, Ph.D., who earned some six (6) academic appointments at the University of Florida, who helped run the annual Gamble Rogers folk music festival. Dr. Linser ran for the board of our Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, but was allegedly trashed by his opponent, Gary Howell, who once called Dr. Linser an "egghead and a queer." Upon learning that, I filed to run for the AMCD Board in 2020, earning some 18,836 votes, based purely upon name recognition. We must make UF and St. Johns County safe for democracy. Mr. Howell has signed up to run for the mosquito control board, as have I (in separate vote race this time). From St. Augustine Record:
UF Whitney Lab begins construction of a new research building and sea turtle hospital
June 13, 2024
St. Augustine’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience is constructing a new Marine Research Institute building and Sea Turtle Research Center and Hospital.
According to a recent news release, the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, a biomedical marine research institute established in 1974, is showing its age. While touting a 50-year history of significant and impressive scientific discovery, the edifice no longer serves as it should.
Mark Martindale, the lab’s professor and director, described the existing building as dilapidated with small rooms, poor lighting and insufficient airflow.
Thanks to state and local funding, a new Sea Turtle Research Center and hospital is presently under construction. The new building and sea turtle hospital will house 12 state-of-the art collaborative faculty laboratories and a suite for advanced microscopy and natural products chemistry for drug discovery.
We’re looking forward to filling the new building with more of the best and brightest scientists in the country,” said Martindale.
Plans also include an interactive Marine Research and Conservation Discovery Lobby designed for visitors to learn about Whitney Laboratory’s surrounding environment, its research programs and its work with sea turtle conservation.
Touting a budget of $41.2 million from state and local funding, the 38,000-square-foot facility will overlook the Matanzas estuary.
Jessica Long, the lab’s senior director of advancement, underscored the importance of community and state support in the name of research and education.
“We are excited to be at the precipice of a new chapter for the lab's next 50 years,” she said.
The laboratory’s scientists; UF Planning, Construction and Design; Lord Aeck Sargent; and TTV Architects collaborated to design the building. DPR Construction is serving as construction managers.
With construction slated for completion summer 2025, the building will comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s gold certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability and the most popular green building rating system.
“After years of planning, everyone at Whitney is thrilled to see the rapid progress of our new building,” Martindale said. "It is exciting to see so many skilled craftsmen working together to generate the structural concrete bones of our new lab. We can all see progress each and every day.”
The research conducted at Whitney Laboratory is significant. Faculty-led laboratories use marine organisms for biological research that can be applied to human health, along with understanding the environment’s local natural resources. The lab also provides training for future experimental scientists, educational programs for students of all ages and monthly lectures to bring lifelong learning to the community.
The lab’s Sea Turtle Hospital promotes ocean awareness and conservation through sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education.
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