Sea Secrets Lecture Series 2021

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FIVE LECTURES ESSENTIAL TO YOUR CALENDAR

WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO OUR SPONSORS

The Shepard Broad Foundation William J. Gallwey III, Esquire Sheryl Gold

Key Biscayne Community Foundation Key Biscayne Life Enhancement Fund Joan McCaughan Family Foundation

To become a sponsor of Sea Secrets call 305-421-4061.

LEADING EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE. TRANSFORMING LIVES AND MINDS. Established in 1943, the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science unites cutting-edge technology with top-notch minds to tackle global challenges, including weather, climate, sea-level rise, hurricanes, earthquakes and marine conservation. Through transformational research, dynamic interdisciplinary academics and support for the establishment of sound environmental policy, we explore the Earth’s great mysteries, improve the quality of human life and educate tomorrow’s leading scientists.

Join us as we travel the world with distinguished scientists and explorers at the edge of discovery.

We invite you to learn about today’s global challenges, from climate change to marine conservation, during this series of evening programs designed for the non-scientific community.

All lectures are free and virtual. To register for one or more lectures, please go to the link for each speaker.

For further information, email: events@rsmas.miami.edu or call 305-421-4061

NIKKI TRAYLOR-KNOWLES, Ph.D. The Mysteries of Coral Ecoimmunity Tuesday, January 26, 2021 Program 6:30pm

Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the human immune system to the forefront of our collective consciousness, and while corals do not suffer from Covid-19, they do have an immune system that we desperately need to understand because they are affected by many other diseases. Dr. Traylor-Knowles uses cutting edge medical technology to study the immune systems of corals to discover the unique and surprising ways in which corals combat disease and identify friend from foe. Her work is contributing to the fight to save coral reefs and insure that we have these ecosystems in the future.

Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Ph.D., is a cell biologist that studies the evolution of immunity, wound healing, and regeneration of cnidarians, a group of over 9,000 marine species which includes corals, jellyfish, sea anemones, sea whips and fans. Her lab uses techniques from cell biology, genomics, microbiology, and molecular biology to study the cnidarian innate immune system and its interaction with climate change and other human induced stressors. Dr. Traylor-Knowles is interested in the application of these techniques to conservation efforts through the development of biomarkers for predicting health outcomes in corals in the face of climate change and disease.

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CIMAS

From the Deepest Oceans to the Highest Clouds Tuesday, February 9, 2021 Program 6:30pm

University of Miami NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies Since its founding in 1977, the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), based at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, has brought together research and educational resources to increase scientific understanding of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere within the context of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) mission.

CIMAS promotes the involvement of Rosenstiel School students and postdoctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research, a mutually beneficial relationship that creates opportunities for students and provides NOAA with a source of qualified potential workforce members.

Situated in close proximity to NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Hurricane Center, and South Eastern Fisheries Science Center, CIMAS provides mission-critical support to programs such as NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters, the Argo ocean monitoring program, cutting-edge aquaculture research, and marine mammal conservation. Four CIMAS scientists and researchers will provide a sampling of some of these exciting ongoing research and development projects.

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KATHARINE MACH, Ph.D.

Climate Change 2021: Managing Floods, Heat, and Fires to Keep People and Nature Safe Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Program 6:30pm

Katharine Mach, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society, UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science The impacts of climate change are now widespread, and societies around the world are increasingly preparing for shocks to economies, health, well-being, and beyond. Dr. Katharine Mach will present research from the climate risks and preparedness group focused on ongoing investments to safeguard societies. This work integrates understanding of the complex, cascading climate risks now occurring, from nuisance floods to disasters. It critically assesses policies and actions to support vibrant, resilient pathways into the future.

Through innovative approaches to integrating evidence, Dr. Mach's research informs effective and equitable adaptations to climate risks. She is the 2020 recipient of the Piers Sellers Prize for world leading contribution to solution-focused climate research. From 2010 until 2015, Mach co-directed the scientific activities of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The associated global scientific collaborations have supported diverse climate policies and actions, including the Paris Agreement. Mach is now a lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Across all of her research projects, Mach engages in relevant policy processes, and she frequently discusses climate change risk and adaptation with the media, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and communities.

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ANDREW BAKER, Ph.D.

Restoring Florida’s Corals Reefs: From Colonies to Coastlines Tuesday, March 30, 2021, Program 6:30pm

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Diego Lirman, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Andrew Baker, Professor, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Healthy coral reef ecosystems underpin Florida’s tourism economy, support vital commercial and recreational fisheries, and help protect our shorelines from the devastating impacts of storm surge and coastal flooding. But these iconic ecosystems have undergone dramatic declines in recent years. Professsors Lirman and Baker are working together to restore these precious local ecosystems and the valuable services they provide using a combination of new and established restoration approaches aimed to not only recover depleted reefs but also increase the climate resilience of restored coral populations.

Dr. Diego Lirman has been working on the active restoration of coral reefs in Florida and the Caribbean for the past 15 years. His lab propagates 1000s of coral colonies in underwater coral nurseries in Miami-Dade County for restoration. He is the founder of the UM Rosenstiel School’s Rescue a Reef Citizen Science Program, where members of the public join UM researchers on reef restoration expeditions to plant corals onto depleted local reefs.

Dr. Andrew Baker’s research focuses on coral reefs and climate change and the development and testing of interventions to increase the thermal tolerance of corals for restoration efforts. As Director of the Coral Reef Futures Lab at UM Rosenstiel School, he oversees research on algal symbiont manipulations, stress hardening, assisted migration, genetic rescue, cryopreservation, and managed breeding of corals using genetic stock from The Bahamas.

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DIEGO LIRMAN, Ph.D.

DERYA AKKAYNAK, Ph.D. Why Are There Colors in the Ocean?

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 Program 6:30pm

Derya Akkaynak, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineer and Oceanographer, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute The color of ocean water provides us tremendous insights regarding the properties of the particles in it. Using satellites that sense ocean color, we are able to monitor worldwide concentration of phytoplankton—tiny organisms in the water column that produce food for everything else in the ocean to eat. That ocean water has color, however, is precisely what is holding us back from unveiling the colors of everything else, such as the colors of the ocean flora, fauna, and the unique habitats that host them. What would we learn if we could see the true colors of everything in the ocean?

Derya Akkaynak is a mechanical engineer and oceanographer at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Dr. Akkaynak’s research focuses on problems of imaging and vision underwater. In addition to using off-the-shelf RGB cameras for scientific imaging underwater, she also uses hyperspectral sensors to investigate how the world appears to non-human animals. Derya has professional, technical, and scientific diving certifications and has conducted fieldwork from the Bering Sea to Antarctica.

Akkaynak is an honoree for the 2019 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in physics & engineering for her research resolving a fundamental problem in underwater computer vision—the reconstruction of lost colors and contrast, which led to the development of the Sea-thru algorithm.

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