Fascination Science public lecture tomorrow (Tuesday 24 Sept) - Coral Reefs in a Changing World

Joachim from Albany

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening at the next instalment of the Fascination Science series. It will be held in the Sir Neil Waters Lecture Theatre at Massey University's Auckland campus in Albany from 7pm-8.30pm on Tuesday 24th September.

CORAL REEFS IN A CHANGING WORLD

Reef-building corals are a delicate, but remarkably productive association between a cnidarian (similar to a sea anemone) and a colony of single-celled algae called zooxanthellae. This mutually-beneficial relationship is the powerhouse fuelling the coral reefs we see in tropical seas around our planet. Yet, corals, and all the biodiversity they support, are under threat from climate change.

Increases in ocean temperature cause the zooxanthellae to become toxic to the cnidarian host, and the hosts evict the zooxanthellae. The only hope for corals is that they can adjust to the new regime or move to cooler locations further from the equator. In this talk Dr David Aguirre will discuss some of the ongoing work to better understand the potential for corals to endure or outrun climate change.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at fascination@massey.ac.nz.

More information on the web: www.massey.ac.nz...

Register for lecture (optional): masseyuni.wufoo.com...