Michelle Gaither

Michelle Gaither is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida in the Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Sciences. Her research focuses on marine evolutionary ecology, particularly the formation of species through geographic isolation, ecological differentiation, and selection in deep-sea and coral reef fish lineages.

• Research Areas: Marine biodiversity, ichthyology, genomics, population genetics, eDNA applications
• Key Techniques: Genome sequencing, RADSeq, field-based studies, biogeographic modeling

The Gaither Lab investigates how species form in marine environments, with projects on deep-sea grenadiers, hawkfishes, and surgeonfishes. They also pioneer eDNA as a biogeographic tool to assess biodiversity patterns and anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems.

Recent publications highlight her lab’s work on:

• Environmental DNA optimization for invasive species detection (2025)
• Larval dispersal dynamics in South Pacific archipelagos (2025)
• Biogeographic barriers in tropical marine fish genetics (2024)
• Metadata curation challenges in global genetic diversity surveillance (2023)

Her lab was recognized in UCF’s 2024 Founders’ Day Faculty Honors, and her students have received accolades like the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the Indian River Lagoon Symposium (2024). Collaborative projects span global locations including the Arabian Peninsula, Chagos Archipelago, and Hawaiian Archipelago.

Lab members include doctoral candidate Ashley Reaume (bioassessment toolkit), graduate students Samuel Greaves and Michelle Shaffer, and undergraduates Hillary Quach and Nadia Barsis. They employ interdisciplinary methods such as phylogenetics, coalescent modeling, and stable isotope analysis to address evolutionary questions.