Mote to host community workshop concerning water quality in Marathon, FL
Dr. Richard Pierce, Dr. Tracy Fanara and Barbara Lausche will be presenting on May 23rd. Credit: Peter Acker
Mote Marine Laboratory will host a two-hour community-focused workshop on “Assessing and Mitigating Impacts From Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) in the Florida Keys,” from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23 at Marathon City Hall in Marathon, Florida. This event is free and open to the public, and will feature presentations by marine scientists, followed by a one-hour community engagement workshop.
Dr. Richard Pierce, Associate Vice President for Research, and Senior Scientist for Ecotoxicology at Mote, will lead the presentations with an overview of Mote’s research on EDCs and the results of studies to assess their impacts on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Pierce will also discuss results of a previous study featuring mosquito control pesticides and toxicity tests with coral and lobster.
Mote Staff Scientist and Manager of Mote’s Environmental Health Program, Dr. Tracy Fanara will discuss strategies to reduce EDCs in storm water runoff and in the FKNMS. Fanara’s presentation will highlight the best management practices, citizen science, and storm water modeling. This will be followed by a brief review and update by Keys local staff of their Integrated Pest Management Program.
Barbara Lausche, a specialist in environmental law and Manager of Mote’s Policy Institute, will then facilitate the workshop participants, focusing on primary points of concern going forward, priority action items, and future research needs. A summary document on major observations and points raised will be prepared by Mote Policy Institute and provided to participants at a later date as a stakeholder workshop deliverable.
Marathon City Hall is located at 9805 Overseas Highway in Marathon. This community presentation and workshop will start promptly at 2 p.m.