Sigma Xi Lectures at Williams to Look at Marine Biological Invasions
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - James T. Carlton, professor of biology and director of the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program, will deliver the 2009 Spring Sigma Xi Research Lectures at Williams College. The two-part series is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 16 and 17. The lectures will be held at 4:15 p.m. both days in Wege Auditorium in The Science Center. The public is invited and the lectures are free.The first lecture is titled "Deletions in the Sea: Who's Missing? Historical Extinctions in the Ocean" and the second, "Additions in the Sea: Marine Biological Invasions."
Carlton is the world expert on global marine bioinvasions (their ecosystem impacts, dispersal mechanisms, and management strategies) and marine extinctions.
He has been named by the Smithsonian Institution as an "Ocean Hero" and was inducted recently as a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences for his work in marine biodiversity and conservation. He is one of the few scientists in the eastern United States to receive this honor.
Throughout history, ships and boats have been moving hundreds of species about--most unintentionally. On any given day, there may be over 5,000 exotic species traveling around the world in ballast water or cling to ships' hulls.
In addition to harming the environment, invasions have industrial, social, recreational, and economic repercussions.
Carlton has the distinction of being the first scientist to receive the federal government's Interagency Recognition Award for his national and international work to reduce the impacts of exotic invasions in the sea. He is the founder of the international journal "Biological Invasions" and served as co-chair of the Marine Biodiversity Committee of the National Academy of Sciences, which produced "Understanding Marine Biodiversity: A Research Agenda for the Nation." As an expert in the field, he has testified many times before the United States Congress (Senate and House subcommittees) concerning legislation involving invasive species.
Since 1989, Carlton has been director of the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program. This semester-long program held at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Conn., integrates marine science, maritime history, environmental policy, and literature of the sea.
Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 as an honor society for science research and engineering. There are nearly 75,000 Sigma Xi members in over 500 chapters at colleges, universities, industrial research centers, and government laboratories. Sigma Xi's mission is to "promote the public's understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition."
The Williams Chapter of Sigma Xi, a scientific research society, began at Williams in 1969. It sponsors two lecture series each year by a faculty member in the science departments.
