MERI’s Ocean Environment Lecture Series offers monthly presentations by international experts on issues facing our oceans today – from endangered marine species and habitats to declining fisheries, global climate change, ocean acidification, and the impacts of chemical pollution on marine mammals worldwide.  The aim of this series is to increase public awareness and understanding of the importance of healthy oceans and to inspire a closer connection with the sea.
 
Lectures are held at the MERI Center for Marine Studies, 55 Main Street, Blue Hill, Maine from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. A reception honoring the speaker begins at 6:00 p.m. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. For information, call us at (207) 374-2135 or email info@meriresearch.org.

Featured Lecture:

Are Fish Safe to Eat?
David O. Carpenter, M.D.

Summer 2012 Lectures:

May Lecture

Journey Into Climate: The Golden Age of Climate Research and the Unmasking of Human Innocence

Thursday, May 17, 2012
Paul A. Mayewski, Ph.D.

Internationally acclaimed climate scientist and explorer Paul Mayewski has travelled to some of the Earth’s most remote and challenging places to study climate change. He has led more than 50 expeditions worldwide – from the Antarctic to the Himalayas to the Andes. A pioneer in climate research, he has witnessed first-hand the dramatic impacts of climate change over his decades-long career, but he also speaks of the remarkable success of global initiatives to address the problem.Read More >

Winter/Spring 2012 Lectures:

April Lecture

Give Science a Chance: Communication Under Conditions of Uncertainty

Thursday, April 19, 2012
Baruch Fischhoff, Ph.D.

Poor communications jeopardize public understanding of complex, and sometimes uncertain, science. Opposing scientific research, conflicting expert opinions and mixed media messages are confusing to the general public. Dr. Baruch Fischhoff, risk communications expert and professor of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, discusses how improving science communications can help people make informed decisions on issues that impact their health and environment. Read More >

March Lecture

Dirty Bottoms: The Industrialization of Aquaculture

Thursday, March 8, 2012
Inka Milewski

The environmental damage from net pen aquaculture is cause for great alarm in scientific and coastal communities alike. According to Inka Milewski, marine biologist and science advisor to the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, "Salmon farms operate like industrial feedlots in coastal waters." Join Milewski, an expert on the impacts of salmon farms on the coastal environment, to hear the facts, to learn from Canada's experience along the Bay of Fundy, and to see what solutions, if any, are possible. Read More >

February Lecture

Is Fish Safe to Eat?

Thursday, February 16, 2012
David O. Carpenter, MD

Director, Institute for Health and the Environment
School of Public Health, SUNY, Albany

How much, how often and what kinds of fish should we eat? Health benefits have been attributed to consuming omega-3 fatty acids and fish oils in fish. However, toxic chemicals in fish may adversely affect these health outcomes. Join David Carpenter, M.D., public health physician and director of the Institute for Health and Environment at SUNY, to get the facts. Dr. Carpenter is a leading expert on contaminants and human health, with a particular focus on metals, persistent organic pollutants and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Read More >

January Lecture

The Penobscot Undammed: Restoring the River

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Stephen M. Coghlan, Ph.D.

A thousand square miles of river habitat will open up when the Veazie and Great Works dams on the Penobscot River come down. With the construction of a fish bypass on a third dam, 11 species of sea-run fish will be able to return to their historic spawning grounds. This is a significant step in addressing more than 100 years of damage to the river’s fragile ecosystem. Dr. Steve Coghlan from the University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife Ecology will discuss the impacts of dam removal and answer the question: Can we restore the Penobscot to its historic natural state? Read More >

Summer 2011 Lectures:

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. Read 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. Read More >

 

 

May Lecture

The Ocean and Us: Caught in the Same Net

Friday, May 27th 7:00pm

Dr. Carl Safina, President, Blue Ocean Institute, Conservationist & 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.
Read More >

 

 

For past lectures, visit our Archive, located in the right column