2011 Vetlesen Lectures in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the University
of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography:
The State of Our Oceans
Will Coral Reefs Disappear? Biology of Ocean Acidification, Feb 8.
The first event in in the “State of Our Oceans” lecture series will feature three scientists discussing how ocean acidification is affecting marine ecosystems. The speakers – Brad Seibel, URI associate professor of biological sciences, Andrew Dickson, professor of marine chemistry at the University of California at San Diego, and Anne Cohen, a research specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – will describe the phenomenon of ocean acidification and share their insights on how marine organisms are adapting to it.
According to Seibel, not only is the global climate
system being affected by increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
but it is also changing the basic chemistry of the ocean. The increasing
acidity of the marine ecosystem may affect the ability of corals, crustaceans
and mollusks to build their shells and calcified structures, and it
is causing physiological impairments to some squids and other species.
In their panel discussion, the scientists will describe the biological responses of marine organisms to these extreme environmental conditions and share how their research is helping to predict how coral reefs will respond to increasing ocean acidification.
For background material on this lecture, click here.
Please note: the archival video of the ocean acidification panel will
not be available due to technical difficulties.
Major Sponsors:
The G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation
The URI Graduate School of Oceanography
Co-Sponsors:
URI Coastal Institute
URI Honors Program
Special Sponsors:
URI College of Arts & Sciences
URI Harrington School of Communication and Media
Rhode Island Sea Grant
Colloquium Coordinators:
Professor Steven D'Hondt, Graduate School of Oceanography;
Dr. Sunshine Menezes, Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting, Graduate School of Oceanography;
Professor Arthur Spivack, Graduate School of Oceanography;
Professor Judith Swift, Coastal Institute / Communication Studies.
