‘Changing Seas’ Featured at NSU Summer Dive- In Series

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla-Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Oceanographic Center and WPBT2 invite you to free screenings of ‘Changing Seas’ as part of NSU’s Summer Dive-In film series. The audience will discover exciting new ocean research, followed by the opportunity to ask questions during a panel discussion with renowned experts.

These free screenings and panel discussions promise to take attendees on an adventurous journey, from unraveling the mysteries surrounding a sunken slave ship in the Florida Keys to investigating coral hybrids in Belize, to the exploration of exciting deep sea creatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Screenings and panel discussions will be held at NSU’s Oceanographic Center located in John U. Lloyd State Park at 8000 North Ocean Drive Hollywood, Florida, on Wednesdays beginning July 10 from 6:00 p.m.to 7:00 p.m. with a reception from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Parking is free.

Changing Seas is a public television series produced by WPBT2 in Miami, Florida, and funded by the Batchelor Foundation and Divers Direct.

Scheduled dates for screenings are:

 -Wednesday, July 10, 2013:
“Coral Hybrids” – While Elkhorn and Staghorn corals have undergone a drastic decline in the Caribbean, their hybrid, “Fused Staghorn,” is increasing in numbers in parts of the region. One scientist is studying the animals in Belize to see if the hybrid might be better equipped to deal with environmental stressors than its parents. Guest expert panel includes:

•  Nicole Fogarty, Ph.D. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU)
•  Richard Dodge , Ph.D.- Dean, NSU Oceanographic Center
•  Valerie Paul, Ph.D. – Smithsonian Marine Station

– Wednesday, July 24, 2013:
 “Sunken Stories” – In the Florida Keys, divers from around the country learn how to map shipwrecks and apply their skills on a mysterious 19th-century slave ship. When diving isn’t possible, professional explorers use high-tech tools to scan objects buried beneath the seafloor. Guest expert panel includes:

•  Erik Denson – Diving with a Purpose / National Association of Black Scuba Divers
•  Gene Tinnie – Artist

-Wednesday, July 31, 2013:
“Creatures of the Deep” – In the cold, deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, little-known animals spend their entire lives far removed from our human world.  Until now, little research has been conducted on these creatures of the deep, keeping much of their lives a mystery.  Guest expert panel includes:

•  Jeremy Vaudo, Ph.D. – Florida International University / NSU
•  Kier Smith – NSU graduate student

-Wednesday, August 7, 2013:
 “Reefs of Rangiroa” – a co-production with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Scientists with the Global Reef Expedition are on a six year mission to study remote coral reefs around the world.  While in French Polynesia, the experts conduct extensive habitat mapping to create one of a kind seafloor atlases.  Scientists also assess the health of the reefs to compare and contrast the resilience of reef systems over a large geographical area. Guest expert panel includes:

•  Sam Purkis, Ph.D. – NSU
•  Jeremy Kerr – NSU Ph.D. Student
•  Alexandra Dempsey – NSU Ph.D. Student
•  Phil Renaud – Executive Director, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
•  Andy Bruckner, Ph.D. – Chief Scientist, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

Availability of seating is limited. For further information call (954) 262-3600, email dive-in@list.nova.edu , or go to http://nova.edu/ocean/divein .

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About Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center: A world leader in marine biological research with focus on coral reef science and shark conservation, Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center has been at the forefront of graduate and undergraduate marine science education and oceanographic research for over 48 years. Students, scientists, faculty and staff come to the Center from all corners of the globe, with the common goal of learning from the ocean’s living classrooms — in one of the most diverse ecosystems known to man. http://www.nova.edu/ocean/

About WPBT2: South Florida’s premier public broadcaster, WPBT2, is a community-licensed, not-for-profit media enterprise serving communities from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. WPBT2 provides high quality content from PBS, independent acquisitions and its own original productions. WPBT2’s digital media platform, offers: 2HD, a 24-hour high definition channel; Digital 2.2, a mix of Science & Nature Channel, The Florida Channel and Create; Digital 2.3, V-me, a 24-hour national Spanish-language network; and www.wpbt2.org, the WPBT2 website including, Impromp2 (a community blog), the WPBT2 Video Player and uVu, a video sharing website. 

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with more than 28,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it’s one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information on NSU, visit: www.nova.edu

Contact:
Julie Spechler
954.262.5348 (office)
954.591.3361 (cell)

 

 

 

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