"Our Ocean on the Edge: The Top 10 Ocean Issues"
• Dr. Shirley A. Pomponi
About the Lecture - 2008
Florida is the only continental state largely surrounded by ocean, and we are
beginning to recognize the inextricable links among our communities, our
coasts, our ocean, and our quality of life. Our oceans control our weather and
dictate the climates. Our oceans hold 97% of Earth's water, generate more than
50% of the oxygen we breathe, absorb carbon dioxide, supply our fresh water
through rain, provide food, and are a deep source of inspiration to all.
Now, more than ever before, we are beginning to understand that our decisions
individually and regionally can impact the oceans as a whole. Leading U.S.
ocean experts have identified the top ten ocean issues on which scientists and
resource managers world-wide are focusing our efforts. By sharing our
collective resources-the best science available, the expertise of hundreds of
scientists and resource managers, and our collective commitment-we can better
protect the health of our complex ocean and coastal ecosystems and secure an
ocean legacy for future generations.
The Top Ten Ocean Issues (in no particular priority)
- Global climate change
- Water-borne commerce and global trade
- Loss of biodiversity
- Over-fishing
- Sustainable seafood
- Land-sea connections
- Watershed and ecosystem management
- Ocean health and human health
- Ocean governance
- Ocean literacy
About the Speaker
Dr. Shirley Pomponi is Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute's Executive
Director. She holds a B.A. in Biology from the College of St. Elizabeth in
Convent Station, New Jersey, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography
from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science (RSMAS). She joined Harbor Branch in 1984. She has authored or
co-authored more than 90 scientific publications and is co-inventor on several
patents.
Shirley has held numerous positions in advising ocean policy, including current
appointments to the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council and the federal Ocean
Research and Resources Advisory Panel. She chairs the National Research
Council's Ocean Studies Board, is Vice-Chair of the Consortium for Ocean
Leadership, President-elect of the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories,
and is on the board of BIOFlorida, Midwest Research Institute, the Women Divers
Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Committee for the Census of Marine Life. But what
she enjoys the most is puttering around in the lab and going out to sea!
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