Lene Petersen

Lene Petersen serves as Instructional Associate Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Research in the Department of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston's College of Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies. Her work bridges cardiovascular physiology, conservation, and environmental stressor research using American alligators and Gulf of Mexico fish species as model organisms.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Fish Physiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland (2010)
• MS in Physiology/Cardiovascular Physiology, University of Southern Denmark (2001)
• BS in Biology/Physiology, University of Southern Denmark (1997)

Dr. Petersen's research examines multi-level physiological responses (molecular to whole-organism) to stressors like hypoxia, salinity changes, and temperature fluctuations. She integrates cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive, and behavioral analyses to understand conservation implications, with current projects on saltwater exposure effects in juvenile alligators and hypoxia tolerance in fish. Non-invasive sampling methods are employed to assess animal health in wild and captive populations.

Analysis of her 13 publications (2003-2019) reveals consistent focus on environmental physiology, particularly hypoxia impacts on fish cardiorespiratory function and endocrine disruption from anthropogenic stressors. Key themes include species-specific adaptations, multi-stressor interactions, and conservation applications for Gulf Coast ecosystems.

No scientific awards are documented in available sources.

As Chair of Undergraduate Research, Dr. Petersen oversees student research initiatives but no graduate advisees or grant funding are specified. Her teaching portfolio includes five specialized marine biology courses spanning fish physiology, parasitology, and animal behavior.

Her laboratory investigates cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, and metabolic responses using techniques from isolated heart preparations to video-based behavioral analysis. Current facilities support studies on American alligator stress physiology and Gulf fish species, with emphasis on translating findings to conservation management.