Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Brittney Lacy

Graduate Student

Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Major Professor: Dr. Matt DiMaggio

Brittney Lacy is a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory and is supervised by Dr. Matt DiMaggio. She is currently working with Ph.D. candidate Casey Murray on a project aiming to improve larviculture and survey preferences of the Ocellaris Clownfish.

Brittney received two Bachelors of Science degrees in 2017 from Texas A&M University at Galveston in Marine Biology and Marine Fisheries science through their dual degree program. During her time at Texas A&M University, Brittney participated in a variety of extracurricular and research activities. She served as Vice President of the university’s Dive Club for two years and was an active member in the Animal Husbandry Association and the Texas A&M Grotto (biospeleology club). She took an active interest in aquaculture throughout her education and earned the Aquatic Animal Life Support Operator’s (AALSO) level one certification in 2015. Brittney discovered her passion for research during her undergraduate education and worked with the university’s Fish Physiology and Toxicology Laboratory on a project developing methods of LC-MS/MS.

Brittney went on to get her Master of Science degree in Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Sciences from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2020, where her thesis research focused on the effects of heat stress and environmental pesticides on the physiology of Common Goldfish. During her master’s she also completed an internship through Gladys Porter Zoo, in which she designed a coral trough for the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center to house native Gulf of Mexico species. Brittney also helped with the university’s Engaged Scholars and High Scholars programs, two programs within the university that focus on providing research opportunities to undergraduate and high school students, respectively. Brittney presented research at a variety of local, national, and international conferences during her degree and published four peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.

Outside of academia, Brittney has worked as an aquarist at Maui Ocean Center and a veterinary assistant through South Maui Animal Clinic. She has volunteered with a variety of organizations and is passionate about the environment. Brittney loves SCUBA diving and being in the water any opportunity she gets.

Brittney Lacy snorkeling

Brittney Lacey selfie

CONTACT

UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory
1408 24th Street SE
Ruskin, FL 33570
blacy2@ufl.edu
813-671-5230

Google Scholar Profile

Education

M.S., Ocean, Coastal and Earth Sciences, 2020, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

B.S., Marine Fisheries, 2017, Texas A&M University at Galveston

B.S., Marine Biology, 2017, Texas A&M University at Galveston

Publications

Cantu, E., M. Rivera, B. Lacy, and M.S. Rahman. 2023. Effects of short-term exposure to a pesticide mixture on free-swimming behavior in Goldfish, Carasssius auratus. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 11:100350.
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Lacy, B., M. Rivera, L. Estrada, and M.S. Rahman. 2023. Combined effects of high temperature and pesticide mixture exposure on free-swimming behaviors and hepatic cytochrome P450 1A expression in Goldfish, Carassius auratus. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Volume 86:144-165.
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Lacy, B., and M.S. Rahman. 2022. Interactive effects of high temperature and pesticide exposure on oxidative status, apoptosis, and renin expression in kidney of Goldfish: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of widespread kidney damage and renin attenuation. Journal of Applied Toxicology 42:1787-1806.
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Lacy, B., M.S. Rahman, and M.S. Rahman. 2022. Potential mechanisms of Na⁺/K⁺ -ATPase attenuation by heat and pesticides co-exposure in Goldfish: role of cellular apoptosis, oxidative/nitrative stress and antioxidants in gills. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29:57376-37394.
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Dubois, S., B. Lacy, A. F. Rahman, and M.S. Rahman. 2021. Elevated CYP1A expression detected in Pinfish collected from coastal lagoon in the southern Texas Gulf Coast: Indicative of exposure to microplastics or pollutants? Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28:32066-32073.
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Presentations

Lacy, B., Casey Murray, Olivia Markham, Brandon Ray, Maribeth Eslava, Matthew DiMaggio. 2024. Refining commercial culture practices of Amphiprion ocellaris: effects of different microdiet brands on larval survival, growth, and color development. Oral Presentation, University of Florida Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Graduate Student Symposium, Gainesville, FL.

Lacy, B., Casey Murray, Jaimi Gray, Matthew DiMaggio. 2024. Evaluating common skeletal deformities of aquacultured Amphiprion ocellaris utilizing methods of diffusible iodine-based contrast enhanced computed tomography. Poster Presentation. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting, St. Augustine, FL.

Lacy, B., Casey Murray, Olivia Markham, Maribeth Eslava, Travis Knorr, Matthew DiMaggio. 2024. Refining commercial culture practices of Amphiprion ocellaris: effects of different commercially available microalgae pastes on larval survival and growth. Oral Presentation, Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting, St. Augustine, FL.

Lacy, B., Casey Murray, Jaimi Gray, Matthew DiMaggio. 2024. Categorizing common skeletal deformities of aquacultured Amphiprion ocellaris utilizing methods of diffusible iodine-based contrast enhanced computed tomography. Poster Presentation. Inter-REC Poster and Flash Talks Competition. University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Balm, FL.

Lacy, B., Casey Murray, Andrew Ropicki, Andrew Rhyne, Christopher Martyniuk, Matthew DiMaggio. 2023. Optimizing commercial culture practices of Amphiprion ocellaris : minimizing deformities and improving larval rearing practices to optimize profitability. Poster Presentation. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting, St. Augustine, FL.

Lacy, B., C. Murray, A. Ropicki, A. Rhyne, C. Martyniuk, and M. DiMaggio. 2023. Refining commercial culture practices of Amphiprion ocellaris to address bottlenecks. Oral Presentation, University of Florida Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Graduate Student Symposium, Gainesville, FL.

Awards

Coming Soon