Date/Time
Date(s) - Jan 28
12:00 am
Location
Aquarium of the Pacific
Categories
Shipwrecks and other submerged structures act as natural laboratories where researchers can study ecological processes and community interactions in our coastal oceans and deep seas. When man-made materials enter the ocean, a wide variety of organisms begin to aggregate and new communities form. But there are very few studies investigating these community-wide interactions, and currently there are no quantitative, predictive capabilities when designing submerged structures such as piers, breakwater walls, or artificial reefs.
Derek Smith, a researcher in the University of Washington’s department of biology and a former diving safety officer for the Aquarium of the Pacific, will discuss how studying the effects of existing submerged structures will help inform engineers and managers how to bio-construct and monitor new structures to enhance and promote ecosystems.
