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Outreach & Events

Coastal & Marine Science Events

The Planet Ocean Seminar Series is free and open to the public. Seminars are currently run as both in-person and virtual events, so registration is required. Once you register to attend virtually, you will receive the link to join the webinar. For further information, please call the UNCW Center for Marine Science at 910.962.2408.


2024-25 Series

Nov. 12, 2024
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission:
NASA's New Eye in the Sky for Earth's Water

with Dr. Tamlin Pavelsky

After almost two decades of development, NASA launched the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission in December 2022. SWOT is designed to provide the most complete measurements ever of Earth’s surface water, including rivers, lakes, and oceans. It uses radar technology to track detailed variations in water levels that can help us understand water storage in millions of lakes, the flow of water through rivers, and ocean currents. In this talk, we will explore this exciting new mission and get a first look at some of the data and results that are beginning to come out from it.

Dr. Tamlin Pavelsky is a professor of global hydrology in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his doctorate in geography from UCLA in 2008. His research has focused on understanding the global distribution of water in rivers, lakes, and mountain snowpack using satellite imagery, field measurements, and regional climate models. Since 2013, Dr. Pavelsky has served as the hydrology science lead for the NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission. For his work leading the surface water community towards solutions for measuring river flow from space, Dr. Pavelsky was awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest award given by the U.S. government to early career researchers. He grew up in central Alaska in cabins without electricity or running water.

RSVP to attend in person

RSVP to ATTEND VIA ZOOM 


Sept. 10, 2024
The Long-Lost Nile Branch May Help Solve the Riddle
Surrounding the Placement of the Largest Egyptian Pyramids Field
with Dr. Eman Ghoneim

Scientists have long hypothesized that the Nile River may have previously been closer to the narrow desert stretch that is home to Egypt's largest pyramids field than it is today. This assumption, however, remains speculative, since no waterway has been found near the pyramids, while the Nile River lies several kilometers away. Radar satellite imagery, in conjunction with geophysical data and deep soil coring enabled us to confirm the presence of a buried major Nile branch passing closer to the Old and Middle Kingdom pyramids. This long-lost branch served as a crucial water conduit for the movement of laborers, large stones and building material to the pyramid sites, which might explain why the Ancient Egyptians chose this location for the construction of their pyramids.

Eman Ghoneim received her Ph.D. in 2002 in physical geography from the University of Southampton, UK. She held a research assistant professor position at the Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University from 2003-2009. In 2010 she joined the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences and become the Director of the Space and Drone Remote Sensing Laboratory (SDRS).

watch recorded webinar 


2023-24 Series

Apr. 9, 2024
Emerging Challenges for Coastal Birds:
Sea Level Rise, Heat, and Disturbance
with Dr. Ray Danner

watch recorded webinar


Feb. 13, 2024
Robotic Oceanography:
Expanding the Impact from Science to Decision-Making
with Dr. Catherine Edwards

watch recorded webinar


Nov. 14, 2023
Sensory Systems to Self-Driving Cars:
Science at the Intersection of Mechanism, Theory, and Opportunity
with Dr. Lorian Schweikert

Dr. Schweikert's Lab


Sep. 12, 2023
An Overview of Marine Mammal Research at UNCW 
with Dr. Michael Tift

watch recorded seminar

2022-2023 Series

April 18, 2023
Conservation in a Changing Climate: Impacts on Seagrass Resiliency and Restoration
with Drs. Jessie Jarvis and Stephanie Kamel

Watch recorded seminar


Feb. 7, 2023
The Climate Crisis: Where We Are, What We Can Do
with Dr. Maureen Raymo


Nov. 15, 2022
Ten Things I Learned from Studying the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill for a Decade
with Dr. Steven A. Murawski

WATCH RECORDED SEMINAR


Sept. 13, 2022
A Tale of Two Brothers: Art Meets Science in the Open Sea
with Dr. Sönke Johnsen

WATCH RECORDED SEMINAR


VIEW PREVIOUS PLANET OCEAN TOPICS

 

Center for Marine Science Open House

SAVE THE DATE!
Fun for the Whole Family!

Oct. 5, 2024
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Test your ROV skills!
• Dig for fossils!
• Explore the benthic zone
• Learn about shellfish
• Games and sea squirts
• Ocean observing network
• Sea turtle research
• Seagrass nurseries

And so much more!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for future events and marine science news.

 

The 2023 Global Marine Science Summit, sponsored by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, is a three-day event hosted at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Marine Science. The Global Marine Science Summit focuses on bringing together international scientists, policy makers and industry leaders to share their experiences, develop solutions for global marine science issues, and improve the economic climate of coastal regions.

2023 plenary speakers:

  • Stuart McLelland, Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, UK
  • Rainer Lohmann, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, USA
  • Elisa Berdalet, Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

2023 Program and Schedule

 


WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

Stuart McLelland

Energy and Environment Institute
University of Hull, UK

From Offshore Wind to Flood Risk

The Energy and Environment Institute (EEI) at the University of Hull is a transdisciplinary research Institute, established to explore the impacts of climate change on environments, societies and cultures, and the pathways for a transition to net zero. Our work focuses on identifying the solutions to mitigate, adapt, and build resilience in the face of climate change, alongside educating and training the future leaders. In his presentation, Dr. McLelland will introduce some transdisciplinary research highlights from the EEI.


THURSDAY, MAY 18

Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography
University of Rhode Island, USA

Legacy and Emerging Pollutants from Wilmington to the Wild Arctic Ocean

Some of the most notorious organic contaminants are persistent, bioaccumulative and hydrophobic, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides, such as DDT. Yet many emerging contaminants in water possess very different physico-chemical properties and pathways. Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are at least as persistent as PCBs, also bioaccumulate but are much more soluble in water. Both are of concern to humans near production and contaminated sites, but also pose risks in the remote Arctic environment. Using a combination of active water sampling and relying on passive sampling approaches, we investigated the presence of legacy and emerging organic contaminants in ocean basins, with a particular focus on the Arctic Ocean. For PFAS, the available evidence suggests that atmospheric transport is still more important than water mass transport, though we detected first signs of PFAS in Atlantic water masses reaching the Arctic Ocean. For PCBs, in contrast, mass flux estimates suggest that ocean transport is important, and that there are more PCBs entering the Arctic Ocean through the Fram Strait than being exported. Global surveys of PCBs imply limited transport away from sites of production and use, but there is evidence of global fractionation for different POP. Both PCBs and PFAS bioaccumulate in marine biota, but pathways and tissue distributions differ.


FRIDAY, MAY 19

Elisa Berdalet

Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)
Barcelona, Spain

Considerations About the Environmental Crisis: The Case of Harmful Algal Blooms

Our planet is facing rapid changes caused by human pressures since the industrial revolution, with global warming as a major driving force. This presentation will focus on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), natural events with different negative socioecological impacts, some of which can be considered indicators of the ongoing planetary changes. 

Some HABs produce toxins that cause human health problems due to the ingestion of contaminated seafood, direct contact with water, or inhalation of aerosolized toxins. Other HABs affect aquatic fauna, including wild and cultured fish and the habitat, with subsequent impacts on human well-being. In the last 50 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the factors that can favor HABs and their dynamics, as well as the characterization of many toxic chemical compounds. We know that eutrophication, human activities on coastal ecosystems, overfishing and global warming, are key HABs drivers. Addressing these factors contributes not only to mitigate HABs impacts, but also to protect the environment for the future generations. The actions in this direction, however, require a drastic change on our socioeconomic structure and the way humanity interacts with the environment: we need to degrowth, for a healthy planet.

marine science outreach

The Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program provides an interdisciplinary science-based framework that supports sound public policy leading to wise coastal use, sustainable fisheries and improved coastal ocean ecosystem health.

ACCESS NEAR-REAL TIME CORMP OBSERVATIONS

MarineQuest provides K-12 marine and environmental education in coastal North Carolina.

CMS-based MarineQuest Staff

Harris Muhlstein: MarineQuest School Program Coordinator
Morgan O'Connell: Research and Volunteer Coordinator

LEARN MORE ABOUT MARINEQUEST

The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) promotes informed management and stewardship of North Carolina’s estuarine and coastal habitats through research, education and example.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NCNERR

North Carolina Sea Grant provides research, education and outreach opportunities relating to current issues affecting the North Carolina coast and its communities.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NC SEA GRANT

McLean Lab Receives NSF EMBRACE Grant for North Sea Research

UNCW Assistant Professor of Biology and Marine Biology Matthew McLean and doctoral student Adrian Gonzalez-Ortiz have received a $400,000 NSF EMBRACE (EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education) grant. 

UNCW Honors Excellence in Research and Innovation

The achievements, scholarly productivity and creative works of UNCW’s research leaders were formally applauded at the annual research celebration on Sept. 26.

UNCW Alumni Receive Pharmaceutical Chemistry Fellowships

Three UNCW alumni have been awarded fellowships in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry’s Pharmaceutical Chemistry doctoral program. Caitlyn Agee, Sarah Barr and Jared Wood are the first cohort of doctoral fellows for Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

UNCW Announces Major Addition to Research Vessel Fleet

The Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is acquiring a cutting-edge 73-foot research vessel for its fleet. This vessel will greatly enhance the center's marine research capabilities, supporting a variety of scientific missions and community outreach programs.

Living with Water at Battleship North Carolina

Three UNCW labs are among those collaborating on physical and biological monitoring in support of a floodwater-mitigation project at Battleship North Carolina called Living with Water.

New Parasite Found in N.C. Scallops

A team of UNCW researchers has identified a previously undescribed species of trematode parasite infecting native bay scallops in North Carolina.

UNCW Students Receive Prestigious NSF and Hollings Awards

Five UNCW Seahawks are recipients of prestigious fellowships and scholarships that will allow them to delve deeper into their research and potential careers.

Research team discovers lost Nile River branch  

A team led by Eman Ghoneim, University of North Carolina Wilmington earth and ocean sciences professor, has discovered the pyramids in Egypt were built along a now abandoned branch of the Nile River, highlighting the importance of the river as a cultural artery and demonstrating how humans have historically been impacted by environmental change.  

Hawkes Team Receives $750,000

National Science Foundation powers multi-institutional research on seismic activity and tsunami hazards on the west coast.

Contact CMS

Center for Marine Science

Phone: (910) 962-2408
Fax: (910) 962-2410

Monday-Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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