Wild Nite on Whitney Lab – March 12

Wild Nite
Press Release
Contact: Kathy Brooks
[email protected]
February 19, 2019 4:00 p.m.

Wild Amelia’s upcoming Wild Nite on Tuesday, March 12th, at 7 pm at the Peck Center, 516 S. 10th Street in Fernandina Beach, will introduce the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience to Amelia Island. The guest speaker will be Dr. Mark Q. Martindale, Director of the Whitney Lab and Professor of Biology.

Established in 1974 on the shores of the Intracoastal Waterway near St. Augustine, the Whitney Lab is a University of Florida center for biomedical research and biotechnology. The Lab studies marine model animals and uses knowledge from those studies to apply to issues of human health, natural resources, and the environment. The Whitney Lab is undergoing expansion and will soon be home to a sea turtle hospital.

Dr. Martindale, trained in experimental embryology from an early academic age, earned his Ph.D. In Zoology from the University of Texas. Currently the Director of the Whitney Lab and Professor of Biology, Dr. Martindale is also on the Graduate Faculty of the Florida Genetics Institute and the University of Florida Genetics and Neuroscience IDP Program. He has published more than 200 papers. Particularly interested in regenerative biology, Dr. Martindale has worked on the development or regeneration of 15 animal phyla. His Wild Nite topic-the first such in 11 years of Wild Nites-will be “The Role of Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century.” Come learn about the ongoing work and future plans of the Whitney Lab in March 12th and bring your questions.

Wild Amelia is an all-volunteer nonprofit whose mission is to educate residents and visitors about the wildlife and wild places of the island. Monthly Wild Nites are just one of the many year-round educational programs for adults and children, all leading to a three-day Nature Festival on the third weekend in May. For more information, please visit WildAmelia.org and Wild Amelia on Facebook.

Caption: Dr. Mark Martindale, Director of the Whitney Lab, will be the featured speaker at Wild Amelia’s March 12th Wild Nite at 7pm at the Peck Center.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Martindale

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