Mote Continues Marathon Library Lecture Series on May 26
Credit: Abigail Clark
Written by Allison Delashmit
Mote Marine Laboratory will continue its new monthly lecture series from 3-4 p.m. Saturday, May 26, at the Marathon Branch Library. These monthly events are free to the public and will feature a presentation from a marine scientist followed by a question and answer session.
The May lecture series will feature Dr. Abigail Clark, Staff Biologist at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3) and Jason Spadaro, Ph.D. Candidate at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Clark will discuss her research on the Caribbean spiny lobster and its associated virus, Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1). Additionally, Clark will give an overview of the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Dry Laboratories at IC2R3.
Spadaro will discuss how manipulating the density of herbivorous spider crabs on degraded coral reefs in the Keys has shown great promise not just for improving conditions for coral restoration, but also as a mechanism for community-scale restoration (e.g., increased abundance and diversity of fishes, increased natural juvenile coral survival).
“The biodiversity of our local reefs is a valuable resource for our community,” said Clark. “My hope is that attendees will leave with a better understanding of the significant effect diseases play in marine ecosystems.”
No RSVP is required. The lecture will start promptly at 3 p.m. The Marathon Branch of the Monroe County Library is located at 3251 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. 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.