Associate Professor, Biogeochemistry Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience

Dr. Todd Z. Osborne has a diverse research program focusing on biogeochemical processes in soil and water in a variety of ecosystems throughout Florida. Currently, Dr. Osborne is highly engaged in shellfish restoration in the Indian River Lagoon as well as UF's iCoast initiative.

Dr. Osborne is also heavily involved in UF's iCoast initiative, where his personal focus is monitoring water quality and parameters along the Matanzas River Basin and region. The iCoast initiative is addressing a global problem that impacts coastal areas around the world. In deploying the iCoast science-based network, we will be able to develop the most complete understanding of a coastal ecosystem at multiple levels than anywhere else on Earth. This will help Florida act on real time mitigation strategies to coastal health threats such as hurricanes and algae blooms, and serve as a model for national and international benchmarking. iCoast brings together and connects research that otherwise has not been well coordinated to address threats facing our state and coastal regions nationally.

View Dr. Osborne's CV here.

Research Scientist

Tracey completed her masters and PhD from the soil, water, and ecosystem sciences department at the University of Florida in aquatic biogeochemistry. During her degrees, she studied the impacts of hurricanes on dissolved organic matter across brackish and freshwater environments. She then moved onto a postdoc in the Osborne lab where she managed a project examining biogeochemical restoration success of restored wetlands. Additionally, she had a large role in a benthic mapping project of Lake Okeechobee. Currently, she is primarily researching internal nutrient cycling in the Upper St. John’s River Basin to help determine sources eutrophication and algal blooms. However, she is also working on a large variety of projects involving greenhouse gas sampling, soil mapping in the Everglades, and many other aquatic biogeochemical projects.​

Graduate Student

Taryn is currently pursuing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology through the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Her dissertation research focuses on characterizing the soil and water quality of mosquito impoundments in the Indian River Lagoon, with the aim being to determine the nutrient removing potential of varying hydrologic regimes in these systems. Taryn first joined the Osborne Lab in 2019 to complete her M.S. degree in Soil and Water Sciences, where she studied how urbanization affects water quality along the aquatic continuum of the Matanzas River. In the interim between her graduate degrees, she lived in southwest Colorado to work as a Water Quality Specialist for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. In her free time, Taryn enjoys movies and games in the fantasy genre, crocheting, and hiking!​

Graduate Student

Lexis Massey is a masters student at the University of Florida pursuing a degree in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences. She resides in the Osborne lab where she is working as a chemist and studying Equilibrium Phosphorus Concentration of soils from ranches with a history of biosolids application.

Laboratory Technician

Intern

Taylor Burgess, a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, recently graduated with highest honors (summa cum laude) from the University of Florida, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Management. During his honors thesis, he concentrated on examining how the northern migration of mangroves impacted primary productivity, litter decomposition, and secondary consumption in the salt marshes of Northeast Florida. Currently, Taylor is continuing his graduate studies through UF's Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences. Outside of his academic pursuits, he finds joy in exploring Florida's natural springs through scuba diving and tending to his unique collection of rare plants.

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