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03/18/2022 12:00 AM

Resilience of Marine Organisms to Future Climate Change: Friends of Outer Island Annual Outreach Lecture April 7


Changing climate has a big impact on the marine life in our local waters. Essential questions arise: What will happen to our clams, lobsters, oysters, bluefish, and bass as water temperature increases? How resilient are marine organisms to changes in the water's acidity? Will the coastal plants and animals adapt? Dr. Emma Cross of Southern Connecticut State University will address these difficult questions on Thurs. April 7, at 7 p.m. at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library in Stony Creek.

Dr. Cross is Assistant Professor of Coastal/Marine Studies in the Department of the Environment, Geography and Marine Sciences and Co-Director for the Werth Center for Coastal Marine Studies at SCSU. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey and her Masters of Science at the University of Southampton in England. Her research focuses on climate change impacts on marine organisms.

In her research, Dr. Cross investigates ocean acidification, warming and hypoxia impacts on brachiopods (a marine calcifier) and marine fish through fieldwork, laboratory experimentation and analyses of museum collections. She also investigates potential climate change mitigation strategies for the shellfish aquaculture industry. Dr. Cross is an enthusiastic teacher who is passionate about educating students and the public about the marine environment.

The Friends of Outer Island with the cooperation of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library welcome Dr. Cross as the presenter of their Annual Outreach Lecture and invite all citizens who cherish the marine life in our coastal environment to the event. Participants can come to the library in person for limited seating or they can watch Dr. Cross through a virtual zoom link at home. In either case, registration is required on www.EventBrite.com. To get your ticket go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/288862524587

Friends of Outer Island webpage: www.friendsofouterisland.org or on Facebook www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Outer-Island