Dr. Junda Lin

Director of the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory

My principal research interests include the biology and aquaculture of marine species and marine ecology. In recent years, my laboratory has focused on developing aquaculture technology for marine microalgae as biofuel feedstock. As a result of continued fossil fuel depletion, increasing pollution and global warming, the world has put increasingly more attention into the development and utilization of alternative energy resources. The bio-fuel production from photosynthetic microorganisms is considered as an effective strategy to produce renewable energy. One promising candidate of biomass for alternative fuel production is micro-algae, which have short generation time and high growth rates. They are estimated to produce 15-300 times more oil for biodiesel production than the traditional crops and can also be used for waste water treatment and atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration. We have worked with our industrial partner to screen algal strains and develop outdoor pond culture technology for continuous production of microalgae as biodiesel feedstock.

My lab has been working on developing aquaculture protocols for marine ornamental species. Virtually all of the marine fishes and invertebrates marketed in the aquarium trade industry are collected from coral reef ecosystems. Extensive and destructive collection of these animals can directly deplete the target species that are already under threat from habitat loss or degradation and indirectly damage the delicate coral reef ecosystem. Aquaculture of marine ornamental species is recognized as a viable alternative to wild collection. We have studied the basic biological processes of several decapod species indigenous to Florida and the Caribbean region, evaluated their aquaculture potential and developed cultivation technology. Other aquaculture projects include the assessment of the feasibility of growing juvenile giant clams, popular in aquarium trade and in aquaculture effluent to reduce pollution.

Another research focus in my laboratory involves the ecology of marine benthos. The local Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is the most diverse estuarine system in the continental US. The species richness in the lagoon is attributed both to its geographical location and its diverse and complex habitats. In the 1950s and 1960s, over 90% of the salt marshes and mangrove forests were impounded to control mosquito production. We have investigated the impacts of such impoundment and the recovery and restoration of the habitats on the faunal communities.