Mote Announces May Presentation at Divers Direct in Key West
Credit: Connor Goulding/ Mote Marine Laboratory
Written by Allison Delashmit
Mote Marine Laboratory will continue its new presentation series from 5-6 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Divers Direct in Key West. These monthly events in the Florida Keys are free to the public and will feature a presentation from a marine scientist followed by a question and answer session.
The May presentation will feature Mote’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Heather Page and the potential impacts ocean acidification (OA) has on marine organisms and ecosystems like coral reefs. Page recently joined Mote’s growing team of next-generation scientists from Hawaii where she was studying carbon chemistry of coral reefs.
Now stationed at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Page plans to study OA’s effects on three key “players” of coral reefs in Florida and throughout the Caribbean – coral, seaweeds and sponges – as well as the hypothesis that OA may cause coral reefs to shift towards algal-sponge reefs.
“I’m really looking forward to about sharing what I’ve learned so far in my career and helping shed light on a topic not easily understood,” said Page. “Ocean acidification is impacting our community and not a lot of people realize how harmful it can be.”
Attendees can expect to learn more about the negative impacts of ocean acidification on our local marine ecosystems and how they can help reduce OA. Additionally, attendees will get an in-depth look into the beauty and importance of both corals and sponges on reefs, as well as the scientific method involved in studying the biogeochemistry and ecology of coral reefs.
No RSVP is required. The lecture will start promptly at 5 p.m. Divers Direct is located at 535 Greene St, Key West, FL 33040. For questions contact Allison Delashmit, Florida Keys Community Relations Manager at allisond@mote.org or (305) 509-9141. For future dates visit mote.org/summerland.