Dr. Lyn Gettys (rhymes with lettuce)
Associate Professor
Agronomy/Aquatic and Wetland Plant Science
Dr. Getty's research and extension programs focus on the ecology and biology of aquatic and wetland plants. Her lab investigates control methods for invasive species and restoration strategies for native species. Dr. Gettys encourages the use of integrated management for aquatic weeds by evaluating chemical control, biological control, and alternative products as potential management tools. She collaborates with researchers, resource managers, biologists and industry leaders to address current and future issues that are important for creating and maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems.
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Research
Research: Alternatives to synthetic herbicides
Dr. Gettys evaluated the effects of “natural” products on target (invasive non-native) aquatic weeds and non-target (desirable native) aquatic and wetland plants. This research revealed these natural products can reduce growth of some aquatic weeds without significant damage to select native plants, but using these products would greatly increase management costs, with product costs alone increasing from 15-fold to 50-fold.
Research: Integrated management of aquatic weeds
Dr. Gettys works with researchers from the USDA ARS Invasive Plants Research Laboratory to develop integrated strategies to control aquatic weeds using chemical and biological control. Her research in this area has shown that rates of a common herbicide used for water hyacinth control can be reduced by 50% if biological control agents are present. Ongoing collaborative projects include field evaluations of integrated aquatic weed management and the effects of refugia on the establishment and survival of biocontrol agents.
Research: Restoration techniques for native aquatic and wetland plants
Dr. Gettys conducts greenhouse studies to identify native plants that can be used in aquatic and wetland restoration projects. She also performs field trials to develop planting recommendations that improve the establishment of emergent and submersed native plants at aquatic sites targeted for habitat enhancement and improvement.
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Extension
Extension: Training Florida’s aquatic resource managers
Dr. Gettys leads the UF/IFAS Aquatic Weed Control Short Course, an annual event that brings together around 500 of Florida’s resource managers. University faculty, state and federal biologists, and other experts share the latest aquatic and natural areas techniques that attendees can use to preserve our environment. Currently licensed pesticide applicators can earn credits to maintain their state-issued RUP license and new applicators attend exam preparation and training sessions to prepare them to take state exams.
Extension: Statewide aquatic training
Dr. Gettys provides statewide Extension programming that focuses on aquatic plant identification, management, and restoration. The goal of the program is to provide resource managers with the tools they need to identify plants and to determine what methods can be used to control them if management is needed.
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Lab Team
Staff Members
Dr. Megan Reid
Post-doctoral scholar – integrated management of waterhyacinth
Dr. Chad Keates
Post-doctoral scholar and lab director – eelgrass and SAV genetics
Jennifer Bishop
Biological Scientist and MS student – native aquatic plant culture
Madison Self
MS student – comparative productivity of native and invasive Pontederia taxa
Sebastian Palmieri
MS student – pollinators in aquatic and wetland systems
Gabriella Rodriguez – OPS
Garcy Momplaisir – OPS
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Need FDACS CEUs?
Online: Get CEUs at https://www.aquaticweedcontrolceus.org/
In person: UF/IFAS Aquatic Weed Control Short Course https://go.ufl.edu/awcsc
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Education
EDUCATION:
- Ph.D., Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Florida 2005
- MS, Plant Breeding, North Carolina State University, 2000
- BS, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, 1996
- Publications