Hidetoshi Urakawa

Dr. Hidetoshi Urakawa is a Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies within The Water School. He also holds a Courtesy Professorship at the University of South Florida's School of Geosciences. His research focuses on aquatic ecology, environmental microbiology, and ecosystem ecology with a particular emphasis on the nitrogen cycle and hydrogen peroxide dynamics in freshwater systems. He leads studies on cyanobacteria blooms, endangered marine species (e.g., Smalltooth Sawfish), and environmental DNA applications. Additionally, he explores applied sciences like aquaculture, biotechnology, and wetland restoration.

Dr. Urakawa’s work is funded by prestigious agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Florida Department of Environmental Protection, US Army Corps of Engineers, and NOAA. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Microbiology and editorial board member for several high-impact journals.

His research spans diverse areas: microbial responses to oil spills, nutrient retention in wetlands, and molecular ecology of endangered species. Current projects include nutrient reduction technologies and eDNA-based aquatic organism detection. Advising graduate student Taylor Hancock, Dr. Urakawa’s lab integrates field studies (freshwater to deep ocean) with lab-based analyses to address environmental challenges.