The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium on Sanibel is set to kick off its online lecture series during the summer and fall, which will be offered live via Zoom and for free.<\/p>\n
The first one will be:<\/p>\n
\u2013 June 24 at 5:30 p.m.: \u201cBeachcombing the Gulf Coast\u201d with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi\u2019s Harte Research Institute Director of Community Engagement Jace Tunnell<\/p>\n
Each week, the Harte Research Institute heads to the beach to see what the Gulf has delivered to its Texas shoreline. In the talk, Tunnell will share some of the most memorable discoveries from his years of beachcombing: more than 60 messages in a bottle, an alligator encounter, a prosthetic leg, stings from jellyfish, illegal fishing gear, creepy dolls, lost money, and more. While the stories are often entertaining, they carry a bigger message: ocean debris has very real consequences for marine life and coastal ecosystems.<\/p>\n
Tunnell is the founder of Nurdle Patrol, a citizen science project that tracks plastic pellet pollution. He also produces Beachcombing, a video series that highlights unusual items washing up on Gulf Coast beaches. His outreach includes a weekly newspaper column in Texas, weekly NPR radio segment and televised episodes aired on PBS. Tunnell\u2019s conservation work focuses on engaging the public in marine science, increasing awareness of plastic pollution and protecting coastal resources.<\/p>\n
While the lecture is free, registration in required.<\/p>\n
The remaining series will include:<\/p>\n
\u2013 July 22: \u201cCurious Cuttlefish: Understanding Camouflage Through the Chameleon of the Sea\u201d with Columbia University marine biologist and aquarist Connor Gibbons<\/p>\n
\u2013 Sept. 16: \u201cSolar-Powered Sea Slugs\u201d with University of Tampa Associate Professor of Biology Michael Middlebrooks, Ph.D.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Oct. 14: \u201cPicking Up the Pieces: Tracking Elusive Predators on Mollusks\u201d with Florida Atlantic University Associate Research Professor Matthew Ajemian, Ph.D.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe museum is excited to offer a range of interesting subjects and excellent speakers this summer and fall,\u201d Executive Director Sam Ankerson said. \u201cWe hope people will enjoy these free presentations and learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series is supported by the Sam and Francis Bailey Clean Water Education Center, Leslie Fleischner, and Joan and Don Sherman.<\/p>\n
To register or for more information, visit https:\/\/shellmuseum.org\/learn-and-experience\/lectures\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is at 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.<\/p>\n