CHANGING SEAS
State and future of the marine world
The sea is vast, unfathomable, full of mysteries and strange creatures hidden beneath the water surface. We still know surprisingly little about this world, even though the oceans comprise more than 70% of the surface and 80% of all life on our planet! Because of their enormous size, they seemed immutable under human influences for a long time … but not anymore. Because the seawater buffers most of the global warming and a quarter of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is rapidly becoming warmer, more acidic and also more oxygen depleted. Moreover, among other things, it suffers from pollution and overfishing. What are the consequences of all these changes for marine life and for us? What will the oceans of the future look like? What can we do? Time to take a look into this unknown, endangered world.
On Wednesday 13 September, the Science Café will be back in the pub for an evening with Tinka Murk and Frank Wesselingh about the seas and marine life under anthropogenic pressure. Molluscan paleontologist Wesselingh (Naturalis) reconstructs past changes in the environment and fauna on the basis of fossil shells. He will discuss how it can help us better understand the nature and drivers of biodiversity crises and recovery and what it can tell us about the current biodiversity crisis and the future. Murk, WUR professor Marine Animal Ecology, studies marine life, from organisms to entire ecological communities, how it functions and can or cannot adapt to changing circumstances. This research is then applied to gain an understanding of the consequences of climate change and human activities to ecosystem services and conservation management.
The evening will start with the wonderful short film ‘Planktonium’ in which Jan van IJken takes us into a mesmerizing microscopic world of vulnerable ‘aliens’ at the bottom of the marine food chain ‘doing their thing’. Sol and Maja, Solaja, will thereby create a delicate, virtuoso symbiosis between these images, their piano and violin. Come enjoy, marvel and join the conversation!
scientists /8pm Tinka Murk (WUR) and Frank Wesselingh (Naturalis)
film /7.45pm Planktonium x Solaja
music /7.30pm Solaja
moderator Maïté Tjon A Hie
time Wednesday September 13th 2023, 7.30/7.45 – 10 pm
venue The Shamrock, Smetiusstraat 17 in Nijmegen
admission free admission (no reservation)
language Dutch