MERI 2011

November Lecture

Looking Uphill: A Casco Bay Perspective on the Impact of Human Activities on the Coastal Environment

Thursday, November 17th, 7:00pm
Dr. Curtis Bohlen

The Casco Bay watershed is prime real estate. It is home to a quarter of Maine’s total population, houses 42 of its fastest-growing communities and is a premier recreational destination for millions of tourists each year. But what price progress? What are more people, more houses and more roads doing to the ecology of the area? What does a larger human “footprint” mean for the wildlife that rely on the Bay and its watershed for survival? Read More >

October Lecture

Ocean Acidification: Survival of Marine Ecosystems and Seafood

Thursday, October 20th, 7:00pm
Dr. Mark Green

Clams - those bivalve mollusks that are so popular with seafood lovers - could disappear from the dining table. According to Mark Green, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Science at St. Joseph's College of Maine in Standish, we've put so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere it's dissolving into the surface layer of the ocean and turning into an acid strong enough to destroy young clams within days of exposure. The implications for fisheries, marine ecosystems and seafood supplies worldwide will be devastating.
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September Lecture

Climate Change and our Threatened Oceans: An Economist with Solutions

Thursday, September 29th, 7:00pm
Alice LeBlanc
Hurricane Irene hit the New England coast as a tropical storm almost six years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Louisiana coast. These destructive events are raising concerns over damaging tidal surges and seacoast flooding. They also place the spotlight squarely on the impact of climate change on the world’s oceans – from rising temperatures and water levels that affect weather to environmental practices that are destroying ocean life and ecosystems. How can we counter the risks of climate change and implement achievable solutions that save our oceans? Read More >

July Lecture

The Search for Air France Flight 447: U.S. Expedition Leader Dr. David Gallo to Speak at MERI

Friday, July 22nd, 7:00pm

Just back from recovering the wreckage of Air France Flight 447, the oceanographer who helped locate RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck will be reporting on his latest fascinating investigation in an illustrated talk at MERI on July 22. MORE >

June Lecture

The Future of the Ocean Past: Solutions versus Doom

Tuesday, June 21st, 7:00pm

Note: Reception at 6:00pm and booksigning by Dr. Nancy Knowlton
Are we laying the groundwork for the mass extinction of ocean life? This Tuesday, June 21st at 7pm, Dr. Jeremy Jackson, one of the world’s preeminent marine ecologists, will give a talk entitled "Brave New Ocean: The Future of the Ocean Past" as part of the MERI Ocean Environmental Lecture Series. In this talk, Dr. Jackson will be discussing human activities, such as overfishing, pollution, climate change, and how these will impact our well-being. MORE >

May Lecture

The Ocean and Us: Caught in the Same Net

Friday, May 27th 7:00pm

Dr. Carl Safina, President, Blue Ocean Institute, Conservationish & Author.
Join MERI for a presentation by Carl Safina, a prominent ecologist, marine conservationist, notable author, and president of Blue Ocean Institute. He inspires conservation by using science, art and literature to build a “sea ethic” and a greater appreciation for the oceans and their inhabitants. MORE >

April Lecture

Special Film Screening: Living Downstream
Based on the book by Dr. Sandra Steingraber

Wednesday, April 27th 6:30pm

Note: Reception at 5:30pm / Film at 6:30pm
Maine families have expressed concerns over potentially harmful chemicals which we encounter in everyday life. Now MERI and the Environmental Health Strategy Center are teaming up to help better inform the community on this hot button issue, with a free screening of Living Downstream. Based on the book by acclaimed ecologist Dr. Sandra Steingraber, this documentary...
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March Lecture

The Great Penguin Rescue

Thursday, March 10th 7:00pm

Dyan deNapoli, Penguin Expert & Author, Former Senior Penguin Aquarist, New England Aquarium
When a threatened species found itself directly in the path of a devastating oil spill, the race was on to mount the world’s largest animal rescue effort. Join us as penguin expert Dyan deNapoli gives a riveting personal account of this event, in which thousands of international volunteers worked for months to save 40,000 penguins on the coast of South Africa.
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February Lecture

Science During Crisis: A Scientist's View of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Thursday, February 3rd 7:00pm

Dr. Gary Machlis, Science Advisor to the Director, National Park Service, Lead Scientist, Strategic Sciences Working Group
Join us as Dr. Gary Machlis explores how we deal with environmental emergency. As the lead scientist in the Department of Interior's Strategic Sciences Working Group, Dr. Machlis has been on the frontlines of the response and recovery effort in the Gulf of Mexico, providing decision-makers with the information they need to craft effective policy.
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January Lecture

Strands of Life: Eelgrass in the Gulf of Maine

Thursday, January 13th 7:00pm

Hilary Neckles, Marine ecologist
Just beneath the waves lies one of the most productive plant communities on earth. All along Maine’s coast, eelgrass beds provide critical habitat for a wide variety of fish, shellfish and invertebrates. Join us as coastal ecologist Dr. Hilary Neckles offers a glimpse into these underwater meadows, which stabilize the shoreline and filter out pollution.
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