Lectures at the Lagoon
Join us for a Lecture at the Lagoon, where you will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of environmental experts. These knowledgeable speakers specialize in sharing captivating stories about a variety of fascinating topics, from the octopus population under the Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach to the importance of manatees in our ecosystem. Our free lectures are held at 2:00 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Don't miss this chance to learn and be inspired!
Mothers of the Lake Worth Lagoon: Professional Panel Featuring Mini Talks About Octopus, Bird, and Manatee Moms
Join us for an enlightening and captivating lecture that celebrates the remarkable bond between moms and babies in the Lake Worth Lagoon ecosystem. Our panel of expert speakers will share their knowledge and passion for the fascinating world of marine life. For this special Mother's Day event we will have food and beverage trucks onsite, along with a DIY bouquet building station!
Speaker Lineup
Dr. Chelsea Bennice - Mothers know best: Tender Loving (egg) Care from Octo-Moms: It's no secret that mothers know best, and this is the case for octopuses! Dive in as Dr. Chelsea Bennice, a research fellow at the FAU Marine Lab, takes you on a captivating journey about the intricate care octo-moms provide their eggs before hatchlings "leave the nest" and explore the sea.
Benji Studt - Defying the Odds: What Imperiled Shorebirds Tell Us About Restoration: Benji Studt, Outreach & Science Communication Environmental Program Supervisor, will shed light on what the return of mother shorebirds raising their chicks on restoration sites in Palm Beach County's largest estuary, Lake Worth Lagoon, tell us about what we're doing right now and how we can build a brighter future for this thriving nursery of life.
Carson Ciesinski, MS.C. - Insights into Manatee Moms: One of our very own Manatee Masters and Ph.D. student at FAU, will share the heartwarming tales of these gentle giants that call the lagoon home. Learn about their nurturing behavior, the challenges they encounter as mothers, and the conservation efforts in place to protect these beloved creatures.
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the mothers and babies who shape the unique ecosystem of the Lake Worth Lagoon.
Speakers:
Chelsea Bennice, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, FAU Marine Lab
Benji Studt, Outreach & Science Communication Environmental Program Supervisor, PBC Environmental Resource Management
Carson Ciesinski, MS.C., Ph.D. student at FAU and Manatee Master, Manatee Lagoon
When: Sunday, May 12th at 2:00 p.m.
Where: 6000 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Cost: Free admission, registration recommended.
2024 Lecture Series Archive
Speaker: Dr. Liv Williamson
Program Manager at Revive & Restore
April Lecture "Helping Corals Take the Heat: Biotech and Interventions for Coral Conservation"
Despite their immense economic and ecological importance, coral reef ecosystems are declining at an alarming rate due to climate change and other human impacts. If corals have a chance of surviving in their rapidly warming and changing world, interventions are urgently needed to help them take the heat. In this talk, Dr. Liv Williamson will share the ways scientists here in Florida and around the world are testing and implementing innovative tools to safeguard coral diversity, increase coral resilience, and restore reefs.
March Lecture "Sharks & Goliath Grouper of Florida: Stories of Conservation"
Dr. Chris Malinowski, Director of Research and Conservation for the Ocean First Institute, joined Manatee Lagoon as the speaker for our March Lecture at the Lagoon. During this lecture, he discussed important conservation issues impacting coastal ecosystems in Florida and beyond, through the lens of his research on iconic species in Florida, like Goliath Grouper, sharks, snook, and sheepshead.
Speaker: Christopher Malinowski, PhD
Director of Research and Conservation
Speaker: Noah Gorman
Marine Biology Student at Florida Atlantic University Honors College
Manatee Master at Manatee Lagoon - An FPL Eco-Discovery Center
February Lecture "The Effects of Ocean Acidification On Clam Growth and Survival: An Uncertain Future for Florida's Estuaries and Aquaculture Industry"
Within the aquaculture industry, Florida estuaries are utilized for their potential to grow commercially harvestable clams. The smallest size clams ready to be planted, called 'seed clams" are placed in field nurseries across estuarine mudflats where they feed on phytoplankton until they have grown to harvestable size. However, planting clams in field nurseries brings environmentally dependent risks. Clam aquaculture within these field nurseries are inherently vulnerable to the influences of acidic/suboptimal pH swings, with the youngest clams at highest risk. The rising influence of ocean acidification may cause an even greater decline in optimal water conditions for various estuarine fauna.
January Lecture "Foraminifera: Evolution, Ecology, and Symbiosis"
Dr. Richardson is a research professor at the FAU Wilkes Honors College, where she has been teaching since 2002. In addition to her role at the college, she is also a research associate in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Her research focuses on the phylogeny of Foraminifera, the evolutionary impact of photosymbiosis within this group, and their ecology in seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. Dr. Richardson is currently conducting field research in the Indian River Lagoon and Florida Keys, as well as in Belize, Central America.
Speaker: Susan Richardson, PhD
Affiliated Assistant Research Professor of Biology
Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
