A panel of six marine scientists (three married couples) from across the Monterey Bay area will provide a unique perspective on work, family, and the future of our blue planet, during the annual Ken Norris Memorial Lecture at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on Thursday, November 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Titled "When Ocean Science is the Family Business," this family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
Michael Watkins, Superintendent of Santa Cruz County Schools, will moderate this unique conversation. Seating is limited; doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Marine scientists have the opportunity to travel to some of the most fascinating places on Earth. They work with an array of interesting and dedicated people from around the globe. The six scientists on this panel are all based here in the Monterey Bay area, one of the most iconic places to study the ocean. They also have more than their careers in common; they are three married couples.
This lively discussion will focus on the choices that have brought them to this point in their lives and careers. The panelists will discuss how the field of ocean study has changed, the challenges and surprises, and the adventure of working together in this exciting field.
The panel will include the following couples:
- Giacomo Bernardi, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, and Nicole Crane, senior conservation scientist at the Oceanic Society and professor of biology at Cabrillo College
- Jim Harvey, director of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and Mary Yoklavich, fisheries research biologist and supervisor at NOAA Fisheries
- Don Croll, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, and Diana Steller, research faculty and diving safety officer at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
The Kenneth Norris Memorial Lecture is named after acclaimed scientist, naturalist, teacher, and conservationist, Kenneth S. Norris. Norris was a professor of natural history at UC Santa Cruz for 18 years. His legacy includes helping to found UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory and the campus's Institute of Marine Sciences. He is nationally known for his pioneering research with dolphins and his efforts to establish the University of California's Natural Reserve System. He was a key author of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
This event is sponsored by Naomi Kirschenbaum. For more information about the lecture, please call the Seymour Center at (831) 459-3800.
