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October 21 , 2006:
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On Saturday, October 21, ecologist Mark Carr will provide a behind the scenes peak at how the state created the plan for a series of 29 marine protected areas, and will then lead a trip through Santa Cruz tide pools that will be protected under the plan. Carr, an ecologist who studies intertidal fauna, worked as a science advisor to California’s much heralded Marine Life Protection Act and will discuss how researchers were able to have a meaningful effect on public policy, as well as what the new Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, will mean for citizens and researchers. He’ll provide insight and take questions on what’s certainly going to be one of the important science stories of 2006. Then, we’ll head to the tidepools for an up-close look at some of the flora and fauna that will be protected under the new rules.
To accommodate the tides, the talk will begin at 3 pm, Saturday, October 21, at the UCSC Center for Ocean Health at Long Marine Lab (direction below). Santa Cruz cools down at the end of the day, so dress in layers, bring a jacket and be prepared to get your feet wet at the tidepools.
For those who want to make a day of it, Long Marine lab is home to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, with exhibits, an aquarium and a touch tank designed to appeal to kids of all ages. See http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/about.html for additional information.
The Center is open from 10-6 on Saturday and admission is $6 for adults and $4 for kids and seniors. The Center offers tours at 1 pm and 2 pm, which often feature a trip outside to overlook the dolphin research area. The 87-foot blue whale skeleton that lives outside is also worth a stop – and it’s free. Long Marine Lab is less than a mile from Natural Bridges State Beach, and about 3 miles from the Santa Cruz Wharf.
Mark Carr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the population and community ecology of coastal marine fishes, particularly those species associated with coral reefs and temperate rocky reefs. In addition to basic ecological research, he has conducted applied research on the structure, functions and services of kelp forest ecosystems, artificial reefs (e.g., offshore oil production facilities), marine protected areas, cooperative marine fisheries research, coastal erosion, and large-scale, long-term monitoring studies (the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans – PISCO). Currently, Mark is on the Science Advisory Team to California’s Marine Life Protection Act, and the Board of Directors of the Pacific Marine Conservation Council, a non-profit dedicated to marine conservation and the development of community-based sustainable fisheries. He is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, sponsored by the Ecological Society of America.
DIRECTIONS
Long Marine Lab, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
From San Francisco Bay Area, take Highway 17 South from San Jose. Highway 17 ends at Highway One, as you reach the coast. As you approach the coast and the city of Santa Cruz, take Highway One North toward Half Moon Bay. (Highway One becomes Mission Street.) Continue north through town. Turn left on Swift Street. Turn right on Delaware Avenue. Follow Delaware to the Long Marine Lab entrance at the end of the road.
HOW TO SIGN UP
This event is free for the first 40 NCSWA members and their guests (up to two per member) who RSVP to Robin Mejia at mejia@nasw.org. If you have additional questions, please contact Robin.
