Dr. Casey Murray

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Casey Murray is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Lab.  She graduated from the University of Florida with her Ph.D. in 2023 after working with Dr. Matt DiMaggio at the Tropical Aquaculture Lab. Her research interests include larval fish nutrition, gut enzyme ontogeny, and larval survival under varying environmental conditions.

Casey received her B.A. in Biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2015 where she discovered her passion for ornamental aquaculture during her senior thesis research on the determination of juvenile Banggai cardinalfish habitat preference.  Casey graduated from the University of Miami with a Master of Professional Science degree in 2017 where she studied the factors affecting loggerhead sea turtle hatch success in Everglades National Park.  Prior to starting at the Tropical Aquaculture Lab in 2019, Casey worked at Roger Williams University where she helped culture Atlantic lookdowns, glassy sweepers, and smallmouth grunts along with researching alternative protein sources in salmonid feeds.

In her spare time, Casey enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her pet duck, Tiny.  

CONTACT

UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory
1408 24th Street SE
Ruskin, FL  33570
casey.murray@ufl.edu
813-671-5230

Google Scholar Profile

• Education

  Master of Professional Science, 2017, University of Miami

  B.A., Biology, 2015, St. Mary's College of Maryland

• Publications

  For most recent publications please visit Casey's Google Scholar Profile

  Breton, T.S., S. Fike, M. Francis, M. Patnaude, C.A. Murray, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Characterizing the SREB G protein-coupled receptor family in fish: brain gene expression and genomic differences in upstream transcription factor binding sites. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 285:111507.
  Read Here

  Murray, C.A, O. Markham, S.W. Hutchins, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Characterizing the gastrointestinal development and digestive enzyme ontogeny of larval Amphiprion ocellaris. Aquaculture 563:738897.
  Read Here

  Breton, T.S., C.A. Murray, S. Huff, A.M. Phaneuf, B. Tripp, S.J. Patuel, C.J. Martyniuk, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Phoenixin-14 alters transcriptome and steroid profiles in female Green-spotted Puffer (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis). Scientific Reports (12):9454.
  Read Here

  Sowaske, G., C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, T. Lipscomb, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Evaluation of larviculture protocols for the Pacific Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus). Aquaculture 565:739116.
  Read Here

  Breton, T.S., W.G. Sampson, B. Clifford, A.M. Phaneuf, I. Smidt, T. True, A.R. Wilcox, T. Lipscomb, C. Murray, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2021. Characterization of the G protein-coupled receptor family SREB across fish evolution. Scientific reports 11(1):1-17.
  Read Here

• Presentations

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, E. Domas, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Examining the digestive physiology of larval Betta splendens to improve larval culture protocols. Invited Oral Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 389.

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Characterizing the gastrointestinal development and digestive enzyme ontogeny of larval Amphiprion ocellaris. Poster Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 390.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Effects of environmental manipulations on survival, growth, and feeding incidence of larval Dascyllus auripinnis. Invited Oral Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 341.

  S.W. Hutchins, C.A. Murray, O.I. Markham, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Mod your pods: Improving feeding success of marine larval fishes by modifying copepods’ escape responses. Invited Oral Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 264.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Manipulating environmental parameters to improve survival, growth, and feeding incidence of larval Neocirrhitus armatus. Poster presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. Poster Presentation pg 342.

  Murray, C.A., N. Evans, S.B. White, A.L. Wood, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Utilizing digestive physiology to refine larval culture protocols for the x-ray tetra (Pristella maxillaris). 152^nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Spokane, Washington, USA. Invited Oral Presentation. Abstract

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, N. Evans, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Using digestive ontogeny data to design larval culture protocols for Gyrinocheilus aymonieri. 152^nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Spokane, Washington, USA. Poster Presentation. Abstract

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, N. Evans, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. A glimpse into the larval development and digestive physiology of the freshwater ornamental Chinese algae eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri). Poster Presentation. Women of the Water, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Effects of environmental manipulations on survival, growth, and feeding incidence in larval golden domino damselfish, Dascyllus auripinnis. Poster Presentation. Women of the Water, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida.

  S.W. Hutchins, C.A. Murray, O.I. Markham, J.L. Diemer, B.C. Ray, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Slow your roll, improve your role: Suppressing copepods’ escape responses to improve feeding success of larval fishes. Poster Presentation. Women of the Water, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida.

  Murray, C.A., N. Evans, S.B. White, A.L. Wood, M.A. DiMaggio. Utilizing digestive physiology to refine larval culture protocols for the x-ray tetra (Pristella maxillaris). 2022. Oral Presentation. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Haines City, Florida.

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, N. Evans, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Investigating the ontogeny of digestive function in larval Chinese algae eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) to inform feeding and weaning protocols. Poster presentation. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Haines City, Florida.

  DiMaggio, M.A, C. A. Murray, G. Sowaske, T. Lipscomb, E. Groover. 2022. Experimental approaches to address bottlenecks in ornamental fish larviculture. Oral Presentation. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Haines City, Florida.

  Murray, C.A., N. Evans, S.B. White, A.L. Wood, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Designing larval culture protocols for the x-ray tetra (Pristella maxillaris) to minimize the use of live feeds. Student Spotlight Oral Presentation. Aquaculture, San Diego, CA.

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, N. Evans, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Examining the digestive physiology of the Chinese algae eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) to improve larval culture protocols. Poster presentation. Aquaculture, San Diego, CA.

  Murray, C.A., S.W. Hutchins, F.A. Shopnitz, C.L. Ohs, J.T. Patterson, A.B. Collins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2021. Utilizing the ontogeny of digestive enzyme activity and digestive tract morphology to guide larval culture protocols for hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus.  World Aquaculture Society - Aquaculture America 2021, San Antonio, TX. pg 195.

  Breton, T.S. W. Sampson, B. Clifford, A.M. Phaneuf, I. Smidt, T. True, A.R. Wilcox, T. Lipscomb, C. Murray, M.A. DiMaggio. 2021. Contributed oral presentation. 6th Biennial North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology (NASCE). “Characterizing the G protein-coupled receptor family SREB, and a new member (sreb3b), across fish evolution.”

  Murray, C.A., A.L. Wood, T.N. Lipscomb, Q.M. Tuckett, J.T. Patterson, M.A. DiMaggio. 2021. Characterizing the digestive enzyme ontogeny and gastrointestinal morphology to inform larval feeding protocols for Blackbanded Sunfish (Ennaecanthus chaetodon). World Aquaculture Society - Aquaculture America 2021, San Antonio, TX. Invited Presentation.

  Murray, C. A., J. S. Szczebak, B. Bourque, A. L. Rhyne, L. Feinberg, and C. Pujol-Baxley. 2019. Determining the efficacy of single cell protein meal as an alternative protein source in aquafeeds using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). World Aquaculture 2019. New Orleans, LA.

• Awards

  2023 Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year - UF/IFAS FFGS Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

  2022 Fish Culture Section (FCS) Best Student Abstract Travel Award - American Fisheries Society FCS

  2022 Second Place Student Poster - Women of the Water 

  2022 Jack Dequine Best Student Paper Award – Florida AFS

  2022 Student Poster Honorable Mention – Florida AFS

  2022 Student Spotlight Award – US Aquaculture Society

  2022 Tyson Student Travel Award – US Aquaculture Society

  2021 Aquatic Equipment and Design Travel Award – US Aquaculture Society

  2021 Best Student Poster Award – Florida AFS

  2019 University of Florida Graduate Student Funding Award