Dr. Samuel Bedgood
Assistant Professor of Biology
Assistant Professor of Biology
Dr. Samuel Bedgood is an Assistant Professor of Biology at New College of Florida, where he leads student-centered research in marine ecology, coral physiology, shellfish aquaculture, and phycology (the study of algae). His work focuses on Florida’s dynamic coastal ecosystems – including mangroves, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and phytoplankton – providing students with hands-on experience in both fieldwork and laboratory methods.
Dr. Bedgood’s projects span basic and applied research. Current efforts include monitoring seagrass recovery at Midnight Pass, studying the effects of red tide (Karenia brevis) on shark physiology, cultivating native algae strains for aquaculture, tracking oyster reef restoration in north Sarasota Bay, and testing the limits of coral-algal symbiosis (Aiptasia) along Florida’s Gulf Coast. His experience also includes tide pool ecology along the Pacific Coast of North America and coral larval development in Okinawa, Japan.
With a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Irvine, postdoctoral training at Oregon State University, and experience in Florida’s aquaculture industry, Dr. Bedgood offers students hands-on opportunities in microbiology, algae culture, microscopy, data analysis, and fieldwork through kayaking and snorkeling in Sarasota Bay.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT?
If you’re looking for a college experience where your learning is personalized, your professors know you by name, and you’re encouraged to explore your interests hands-on—New College is the place. Small classes, close faculty mentorship, and the freedom to design your own academic path make it one-of-a-kind.
WHAT MAKES NEW COLLEGE OF
FLORIDA SO UNIQUE?
New College encourages and equips students to pursue hands-on learning in the areas that excite them most, offering exceptional opportunities for research, discussion, and discovery.
IF YOUR STUDENTS COULD READ ONE BOOK TO PREPARE FOR YOUR CLASS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong