EELGRASS IS TOPIC OF NEXT BAY ECOLOGY LECTURE
Hilary Neckles, Ph.D. to speak on "Eelgrass: Ecology, Importance, and Threats”

Hilary Neckles, Ph.D., a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, will give a talk on “Eelgrass: Ecology, Importance, and Threats” on Thursday, December 6, at 4 p.m. in the Maren Auditorium at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) in Salisbury Cove.

     The importance of eelgrass in the marine ecosystem isbeginning to be realized at the same time that its beds are disappearing rapidly from local waters.  Dr. Neckles has been studying seagrasses since the late 1980's.  Her research focuses on understanding and predicting seagrass responses to disturbance, including physical disruptions and changes in nurients coming through the watershed, and identifying appropriate ways to monitor ecosystems.

     The Bay Ecology Lectures are an outgrowth of growing concern among MDIBL scientists about the condition of Frenchman’s and Eastern Bays and the increasing scarcity of species that MDIBL scientists have traditionally studied. The Bay Ecology committee seeks to be a resource for the concerned public and policy makers by sharing a scientific perspective on some of the issues impacting local waters.  A previous lecture concerned the eelgrass restoration project being undertaken by the Bar Harbor Marine Resources Committee with assistance from MDIBL.

     On December 13, Nick Brown from the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research will discuss “New Candidate Species for Aquaculture in Maine.”  Steve Perrin will give a talk entitled "Beyond the Coastal Postcard" on December 20. All lectures are at 4 p.m. in Maren Auditorium and are open to the public free of charge. For more information, please call 244-3147 or visit www.mdibl.org.

Download this release (PDF, 12k)

Back to News Releases