Thursday, October 15, 2009 Life at the Bottom of the World: Deep-Sea Cephalopods of the Atlantic An Illustrated Presentation By Dr. Elizabeth Shea, Delaware Museum of Natural History 4:00 - 7:00 PM Lecture at 5:30 PM
American Marine Conchology by George W. Tryon. Philadelphia, 1873. The depths of the ocean have long fascinated mankind. Since the mid-twentieth century, through books, film and photography, people have been able to come face to face with the diverse creatures that reside in deep-sea environments. But what is life like for these creatures and those who study them? Dr. Elizabeth Shea, Curator of Mollusks at the Delaware Museum of Natural History will introduce the deep-sea environment of the canyons and seamounts of the northwest Atlantic Ocean. A vast amount of life exists at the bottom of the ocean, and a great deal of research has been done to explore and understand the biodiversity and ecology of these areas. However, since deep-sea exploration has only been possible for a short period of time, there is still much to be discovered. Dr. Shea, who has spent much time living and working aboard a research vessel, will discuss the marine life she has been studying in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, especially cephalopods like open-ocean squids, and will reveal preliminary findings of her most recent research. She will also detail the day to day life of deep-sea research while focusing on the objectives of her trips, especially studies underway at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Dr. Shea will speak at 5:30 PM in the Institute's historic lecture hall. Images of her research will highlight her discussion. There will be a question and answer session immediately following the talk. Dr. Elizabeth Shea has been the Curator of Mollusks at the Delaware Museum of Natural History since 2006, where she oversees one of the top ten collections of mollusks in the United States. Her research focuses on the ecology and systematics of cephalopods, especially open-ocean squids. Dr. Shea earned a Ph.D. in Biology from Bryn Mawr College where she was recognized with the national P.E.O. Scholar Award and Bryn Mawr College's Doris Sill Carland Prize for Excellence in Teaching. She has done research for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Washington, D.C., and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography's Ecosystem Research Division in Canada.
|
|
