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VERSION:2.0
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BEGIN:VEVENT
LAST-MODIFIED:20070321T162154
SEQUENCE:0
CONTACT:events@earthwatch.org.uk
ORGANIZER:Earthwatch
DTEND:20070606T203000
UID:2008-08-30T02:31:13-0400_767766085@socialweb1
DESCRIPTION:Despite covering three-quarters of the Earth's surface\, our oc
 eans are among the most under-researched and least understood areas of our 
 planet\, and are particularly vulnerable to pollution and other human impac
 ts. For example\, it has been estimated that coral cover in some regions ha
 s dropped 80 percent in the last three decades due to climate change\, coas
 tal pollution\, and coral diseases. Marine ecosystems have long been an Ear
 thwatch focus\, and here you will have the chance to hear about two very di
 fferent\, but equally important examples of our work.\n\n*Coral and Coastal
  Ecology of the Seychelles*\n_Dr. David Smith (Coral Reef Research Unit\, U
 niversity of Essex)_\n\nOutlining the importance of coral reef systems arou
 nd the world\, this lecture will introduce you to Earthwatch's Seychelles c
 oral reef research programme\, focusing in particular on the marine environ
 ment of Desroches\, an isolated coral atoll apparently impacted only minima
 lly by human activity\, but devastated by coral bleaching\, a phenomenon th
 at has been linked to climate change. Which species survive\, and which sho
 w the quickest recovery responses? What is the future of such reef systems 
 faced with predicted unprecedented climate change? Answers to these questio
 ns\, and how they fit in with other research carried out around the world\,
  will be addressed this evening.\n\n*Brazil's Dolphins*\n_Dr. Marcos Santos
  (Universidade de Sao Paulo)_\n\nSao Paulo's Cananeia Island contains some 
 of the last remnants of Brazil's Atlantic rainforest. The vulnerable estuar
 y waters surrounding it mirror the rainforest's biodiversity\, with records
  of at least 43 species of whales and dolphins and seven species of seals. 
 Here is also perhaps the largest resident population of marine tucuxi dolph
 ins\, one of the least-studied cetaceans in the world. Not surprisingly\, t
 he area is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for tourists and
  Dr. Santos is working to establish baseline data to guide local tourism de
 velopment and conserve the estuary's marine mammal populations. 
SUMMARY:Managing the Marine Environment
DTSTART:20070606T190000
CREATED:20070321T162154
DTSTAMP:20080830T023113
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