Wade H. Jeffrey

Wade H. Jeffrey is a Professor and Director of the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation at the University of West Florida, Department of Biology. His research focuses on marine microbial ecology with particular emphasis on ultraviolet radiation effects, oil spill microbiology, and microbial responses to environmental stressors.

Dr. Jeffrey earned his B.S. in Biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1981), followed by M.S. (1985) and Ph.D. (1989) in Marine Science from the University of South Florida. He completed a National Research Council Post Doctoral Fellowship with the US EPA Gulf Ecology Division.

His research interests span Marine Microbiology, Oil Spill Microbiology, Ultraviolet Radiation Effects on Marine Microbes, DNA Damage and Repair in the Environment, Ozone Depletion, and Microbial Community Structure and Function. Dr. Jeffrey has led multiple Antarctic research expeditions aboard the RVIB NATHANIEL B. PALMER, including the BRIDE OF TABASCO (2002), POTATOE (2003), MIXURS (2003), GRINCHES (2004-2005), and RE-MIXURS (2005) cruises.

His most recent publications analyze microbial biomass and production across polar regions, with particular focus on how ultraviolet radiation and ocean mixing affect phytoplankton and bacterial productivity in the Ross Sea. His work demonstrates expertise in measuring bacterial production using leucine and thymidine incorporation methods, analyzing chlorophyll concentrations, and collecting comprehensive oceanographic data through CTD hydrocasts.

Dr. Jeffrey teaches courses in Biological Oceanography, Climate Change Biology, and Professional Development in Biology, bridging his research expertise with undergraduate and graduate education.