Caden V. Delano

Caden V. Delano is a 19 year old student from Jensen Beach, FL. He is currently an undergraduate at the University of Florida studying marine science with a minor in chemistry while working in the ichthyology department at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Over the past year and a half, he has been working on redescribing a freshwater minnow from Southeast Asia, Rasbora septentrionalis, and tackling the taxonomic issues of the species through genetic barcoding and multivariate statistical analysis.

At the age of 12, Caden was first certified as a junior open water diver. During his time at the University of Florida, Caden served as the dive coordinator for the Gator Scuba Club where his peers encouraged him to pursue an advanced open water certification, and eventually, a science diver certification. In addition, Caden started working at the Florida Museum of Natural History where he learned lab skills, fish morphology, and foundational taxonomy. 

With the support of the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society, American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), Shannon Point Marine Center, Rio Civic Club, and family, Caden is pursuing a future in marine research. His goal is to utilize the AAUS Scientific Diving certification earned as the Dr. Lee H. Somers AAUS Scientific Diving Intern, to research invasive populations of red lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico and achieve a new level of competency by training with the Shannon Point Marine Center that inspires his peers in Gator Scuba Club to pursue their passion of diving and scientific research.