Distance Education in Wildlife Forensic Sciences & Conservation

From UF to ScienceDirect: Wildlife Forensics master’s student Aimée Henderson published in scientific journal

UF grad Aimee Henderson wearing protective gear while working withlab equipment. A student in UF’s online master’s program in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation was part of a team that had a paper on harmful algal blooms recently published by a notable scientific journal.

Aimée Henderson, a biologist who is on track to graduate from the UF master’s program in August, was among six different authors of the paper published in the April 2026 edition of the journal ScienceDirect. The paper evaluated a portable method of monitoring harmful algal blooms directly in the field through DNA.

“Having my co-authored paper published in a well-known peer-reviewed journal means a lot,” said Henderson, who works in Cincinnati as a biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency studying harmful algal blooms, anti-microbial resistance genes and pathogens in drinking water. “Specifically, I look at it as an accomplishment for the effort that was put into the rigorous scientific research and team collaboration.”

While the paper was not associated with Henderson’s work at UF, Wildlife Forensic Sciences program director Susan Underkoffler was pleased to see one of her students recognized. “It is always a big deal,” she said. “It's an important milestone for students who wish to go on for a Ph.D. or work in academia, and it is a substantial acknowledgement of all of their difficult research.”

Hands-on experience

Henderson holds a bachelor’s degree in equine science from Colorado State University, where she focused on equine reproduction and management. She also earned her master’s in biology through Miami University of Ohio’s Project Dragonfly Global Field Program, where she focused on stakeholder relations for conservation management. UF Grad Aimee Henderson horseback riding

“The UF online Wildlife Forensics master’s program was a great fit for me, as I needed to further my education,” Henderson said. “I was particularly interested in the wildlife law courses and the course offered on working dogs for conservation, which is what drove me to apply.”

Henderson said her experience with UF has broadened her professional network, inspiring her to further explore research in areas including wildlife genetics and wildlife forensics. The online nature of the program allowed her to maintain her day job as an EPA biologist, while also volunteering in local search and recovery efforts.

“The flexibility of the online program gives me the opportunity to make my schedule work and complete class material in the evenings and on weekends,” Henderson said. “Working full-time gave me the opportunity to publish papers within scientific journals through my job.”

UF’s online Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation graduate program offers students hands‑on experience addressing wildlife‑related crimes such as poaching and illegal trade, guided by faculty who have worked directly with law enforcement agencies and wildlife organizations. Courses are completed from the comfort of a student’s home, on their own time—a hallmark of a program designed for working adults.

“Flexibility is important in this program,” Underkoffler said. “It was developed with busy, working, nontraditional students in mind.”

From the lab to the field

Algal blooms occur when the algae living in a body of water rapidly grows out of control. The blooms can change the color of the water to green, blue, brown or red, and certain types of harmful blooms—such as cyanobacteria—can sicken people or animals who come in contact with the tainted water.

“Harmful algal blooms can damage ecosystems and cause illness and even death to human and non-human animals,” Underkoffler said. “While algae is a key biological component of aquatic environments, as more and more natural lands are developed for farming or suburban sprawl, we are seeing an increase in the use of fertilizers and other chemicals that leach into waterways and cause the algae to grow out of control and/or become toxic.”

On the project that resulted in the ScienceDirect paper, Henderson helped perform much of the laboratory testing on two different algal strands with the intention of modifying a field protocol to make it applicable to harmful algal bloom genes. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) is the established method for molecular detection and quantification of microorganisms such as algal blooms in water, but it’s not typically done on-site.

“It is notable because DNA analysis is traditionally performed in a sterile laboratory setting,” Henderson said, “but since Covid, advancements in genetic technologies have been made to allow these analyses to be performed in the field. Our method for monitoring harmful algal bloom DNA is performed in-situ using a modified qPCR protocol that was made possible because of these emerging technologies.”

Now that the project is published in a scientific journal, Henderson hopes others can learn from the work she and her colleagues have done. And she hopes to use her UF master’s degree to eventually open a new front in her career.

“The knowledge I have gained through this program has been unparalleled in its uniqueness in opening a new avenue for my career,” Henderson said. “My hope is that I can transition into a wildlife field where I can use my molecular biology skills, wildlife law and crime scene knowledge to help prevent wildlife and environmental crime.”

Earn your master’s degree in Wildlife Sciences and Conservation

The UF Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation online program offers a Master of Science in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation, a Graduate Certificate in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation, and online Non-Degree courses. The program allows students to interact with content in an asynchronous, online-delivery format on their schedules while taking coursework covering contemporary issues in domestic and international wildlife protection and conservation. The program is designed for students and working professionals in wildlife conservation, ecology, and animal protection. Explore programs and apply online. 