Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

Science for the Community Seminars

Science for the Community

Learn about innovative research conducted at UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory from the scientists themselves!

Science for the Community (S4C) seminars invite members of the public to discover how our scientists are developing new approaches to solving the environmental challenges facing Southern Maryland, our nation, and the world. All seminars are free of charge.

Sign up for Notifications


Spring 2023 S4C Series - Coming Soon

Planning for the next Science for the Community Seminar Series is underway. We anticipate hosting five seminars during the spring semester of 2023. When finalized, the seminar schedule will be published below and announced via our email list - Sign Up for Email Notifications Here


Fall 2022 S4C Series

Crabs in Crisis Again? Current and Future Challenges in Managing Blue Crab

Presented by Dr. Tom Miller on Tuesday, October 18, 2022

The 2022 surveys for blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay continue to give cause for concern. In this lecture we will explore what we know about blue crab in the Chesapeake, what might be causing the patterns we observe and what we can do in response

WATCH THE VIDEO

Hanging On by a Scute: Maryland’s Sturgeon up a Creek

Presented by Dr. Dave Secor on Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Sturgeons coexisted with dinosaurs, and survived asteroid blasts and glacial eras. The conundrum of sturgeon is that despite their evolutionary resilience, they are particularly sensitive to human impacts. In this seminar, Dr. Dave Secor will introduce how Atlantic sturgeon, once thought to be extinct in Maryland, were re-discovered as a small relict population in Marshyhope Creek. He will also discuss the threats, such as a large salmon factory, that jeopardize the recovery of this endangered species.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Fear for the Turtle? Climate Change and Maryland’s Diamondback Terrapins

Presented by Dr. Chris Rowe on Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Learn about Maryland’s state reptile and the challenges it faces as the climate continues to warm. Based on recent and ongoing studies, Dr. Chris Rowe will discuss how nest temperatures affect terrapins during development and how sea level rise is threatening the critical habitats that terrapins depend on throughout their lives.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Long Time, No Sea: Bottlenose Dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay

Presented by Jamie Testa on Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Chesapeake DolphinWatch was launched in 2017 to engage Bay residents in studying when dolphins visit Chesapeake Bay and where they go. Since then, incredible information on dolphin presence, distribution, and behavior in our estuary has been gathered. In this seminar, Project Coordinator Jamie Testa will discuss the research findings from the first 5 years, how graduate students at UMCES CBL are advancing dolphin research in Chesapeake Bay, and future plans for the research.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Chesapeake Reflections: What We’ve Learned During the Past 50 Years and Where We Need to Go in the Future

Presented by Dr. Walter Boynton on Tues., November 15, 2022

Dr. Walter Boynton is an internationally recognized expert in estuarine science and restoration. Throughout his career, he's experienced the pleasures and challenges of trying to better understand how these wonderful estuaries work, what causes serious degradation to water quality and habitats and what we might expect from past and continuing restoration efforts. In this seminar, Dr. Boynton will use examples from the past 50 years of his career to bring these important issues to life.

WATCH THE VIDEO


S4C Video Archive

Couldn't make it to a seminar you were interested in? Want to revisit a seminar you attended to learn more?  We've got you covered! You can watch live-quality videos of most of our past seminars on the Science for the Community video archive webpage.


Science for Communities Seminars are graciously sponsored by:

Toyota of Southern Maryland