The Smithsonian Marine Station and COSEE Florida invite area residents to enjoy a series of seven lectures presented by local marine scientists this January through April. This Wednesday morning lecture series is hosted by the Smithsonian Exhibit at the St. Lucie County Aquarium on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce and is sponsored by the Florida Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE Florida). The bi-weekly series provides an opportunity for members of the community to hear from and speak with scientists in in various fields within marine science. The lectures focus on current topics, including:
January 11, 2017 – Monitoring the Effects of Freshwater Discharge on Local Coral Reefs with Danielle Dodge and Alycia Shatters of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
January 25, 2017 – Coral Calamities: Sickness in the Sea with Dr. Carly Randall of Florida Institute of Technology
February 8, 2017 – Cures from the Deep Sea: Marine Natural Products and Cancer with Dr. Esther Guzman of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
February 22, 2017 – Studying Sea Turtles in the Water with Cody Mott of Inwater Research Group
March 8, 2017 – Exploring the Diversity and Potential Utility of Microbial Communities in the Indian River Lagoon with David Bradshaw of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
March 22, 2017 – Community-based Oyster, Seagrass and Living Shoreline Restoration: Recent Efforts in the Southern Indian River Lagoon with Dr. Vincent Encomio of Florida Oceanographic Society
April 5, 2017 – Little Animals, Big Insights: Using Soft-sediment Communities as a Proxy for Environmental Health with Dr. Jessica Lunt of Smithsonian Marine Station
Lectures begin at 9:00am at the St. Lucie County Aquarium and last until approximately 10:00am. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided starting at 8:30am. Advance registration is required as space is limited. Lectures are free with paid aquarium admission ($3 for seniors 55+, $4 for adults). One-year memberships, which include free admission, are available starting at just $15. Please contact the Education Office at (772) 465-3271 for further questions or to reserve your seat today!
COSEE Florida is a partnership between Indian River State College (IRSC), Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA), the Smithsonian Marine Station, and Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, and is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences. For more information about COSEE Florida, visit www.coseeflorida.org.
The Smithsonian Exhibit is located in the St. Lucie County Aquarium at 420 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce. The Smithsonian Marine Station has teamed with St. Lucie County and other community partners to create this unique educational facility. The Exhibit is an outreach effort of the Smithsonian Marine Station, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fixture in the Fort Pierce community for over 45 years, the Marine Station is dedicated to understanding the character and diversity of the marine and estuarine habitats of Florida. For more information, visit www.sms.si.edu.
