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.
Feb. 11, 2025
Robots and AI:
Seafloor Mapping for Next Generation Ocean Planning,
Ecosystem Management and Restoration
with Dr. J. Christopher Taylor
Maps of seabed habitats are a fundamental decision support tool for marine spatial planning and ocean ecosystem management. Decision-makers and stakeholders are requiring maps at broader extent, finer resolution, and richer detail. We have reached the capacity to characterize and groundtruth the seabed using point samples such as drop cameras and even remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and human annotations. This seminar will showcase how NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science is using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to rapidly fill gaps in remote sensing and direct observations of the seabed. Sensors recently made available from military and industry are providing unprecedented resolution in imagery and the ability to characterize seabed geoforms and biological communities at broad spatial extents. But these sensors have increased the velocity in data acquisition, creating new bottlenecks. Cloud computing and artificial intelligence will ensure timely delivery of decision-ready maps for the next generation ocean planning, ecosystem management and restoration.
Dr. Chris Taylor is a senior principal investigator with the Seascape Ecology and Analytics Branch in NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. He leads seafloor mapping and marine ecological research from the polar to tropical ecosystems and conducts research and development in underwater acoustics and optics in uncrewed maritime systems. He came to NOAA 2008 after a short stint as research faculty at UNC Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Science and research associate with NC State University. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees from NC State University. Taylor lives in Morehead City and enjoys the outdoors, fishing and cooking and spends his free time with his wife Dr. Larisa Avens, two sons, one dog and several box turtles.
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.
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).
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
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
The Center for Marine Science (CMS) invites the general public to tour campus each fall at our Open House, typically held on one of the first couple of weekends in October – weather permitting. Thank you to everyone who attending our 2024 open house!
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