HARBOR BRANCH - OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

HARBOR BRANCH TO BEGIN FIRST SUMMER OCEAN SCIENCE LECTURES

FT. PIERCE -- This summer, for the first time and by popular demand, Harbor Branch will be offering monthly public lectures similar to those given during the Ocean Science Lecture Series held each year from January through March.

On July 21, the first talk will highlight the beauty of the Indian River Lagoon from the angling, photographic, and scientific perspectives presented in the book Waterways & Byways of the Indian River Lagoon: A Field Guide for Boaters, Anglers, and Naturalists. Authors Diane Littler, a marine scientist with HARBOR BRANCH, and her husband, Mark Littler, of the Smithsonian Institution, where Diane is also a research associate, will be the speakers. The lecture will be an updated version of their hit presentation from January that will include spectacular new photography as well as photographs found in the book ranging from aerial shots that reveal lagoon features in detail, to photos of wildlife and scenery.Ê The husband-and-wife team will draw from the book and their experiences from decades of recreation and research in the Indian River Lagoon to describe and explain its incredible biological diversity and the importance of its varied, sometimes hidden habitats.

On August 25, Harbor Branch oceanographer Dr. Ned Smith, a perennial favorite from the Ocean Science Lecture Series, will give a talk titled "Global Warming and Sea Level Rise: An Update on Status and Trends." The lecture will survey the natural and man-induced causes of climate change, describe the changes that have been recorded over the past decade, and summarize current predictions for the coming decade.

Presentations will be at 7:00 p.m. only at the main auditorium of the Johnson Education Center at HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL. Talks are free to the public. For more information, please contact the Marine Education Office at 772-465-2400, ext. 506, or email education@hboi.edu.

HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution was founded in Ft. Pierce, Fla., in 1971 to support the exploration and conservation of the world's oceans. The institution has held to this mission and grown into one of the world's leading oceanographic institutions with a 500-acre campus, over 200 personnel, and a fleet of sophisticated research ships and submersibles.