Free Ocean Science Lecture Series

Posted on: June 19, 2008 | SeaLife Center | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

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Have you ever wondered why harbor seals haul out on the ice, or how ships are able to navigate through ice-covered waters to conduct research? Join us and find out as the Alaska SeaLife Center celebrates our 10^th anniversary by offering an “Ocean Science Lecture Series.” These informative lectures are free to the public and will be hosted at the Alaska SeaLife Center Tuesdays at 4 pm through the end of July.

June 24: “Harbor Seals on Ice” by Anne Hoover-Miller, Harbor Seal Program Manager, Alaska SeaLife Center – Dive into this cool topic and learn how harbor seals are responding to changing ice conditions and increasing human presence in these unique habitats.

July 8: “Breaking the Ice on Arctic Research” by Dan Oliver, Director of the Seward Marine Center, UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences – The Arctic Region is a challenging place to conduct shipboard research, making it one of the least studied areas among the world’s oceans. Learn from former Coast Guard Captain Dan Oliver about the specially designed ships used to explore the region and get the inside scoop on an incredible new ice-capable research ship, the Alaska Region Research Vessel.

July 15: “On Thin Ice: Marine Mammals Challenged by Climate Change” by Mike Castellini, Associate Dean, UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences – The effects of climate change on ice caps has greatly impacted polar bears, seals, and penguins that live on, near or are associated with the polar ice in both the north and south regions of the planet. Through a combination of video and still photographs, examine how marine species use ice for breeding, hunting, resting and social systems, and learn about research being conducted on these animals.

July 22: “Stranded: the Marine Mammal Rescue Program” by Tim Lebling, Stranding Coordinator, Alaska SeaLife Center – What do you do with an orphaned otter? Learn about the round-the-clock care that goes into the Alaska SeaLife Center’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program, and how this program assists scientists in learning and preventing threats to the marine ecosystem.

July 29: “Long-term Ecological Change in the Gulf of Alaska” by Bob Spies, Director of Conservation Science, Alaska SeaLife Center – Dramatic global climate and ecological changes over the last 50 years and in the future will increasingly affect the biological populations in the Gulf of Alaska. Rising levels of greenhouse gases, changing heat and pressure distribution patterns, harvesting of marine animals, changes in predation, and other factors contribute to these changes through complex interactions between the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere, oceans and marine organisms that we do not fully understand.

Please call 224-7908 for more information.