Daniel Island Community Speakers Series with Deborah Bronk at the DI Club

600 Island Park Drive,Charleston SC 29492

25 January, 2023

Description

The Daniel Island Community Speaker’s Series will continue on Wednesday evening, January 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the ballroom at the Daniel Island Club. Our speaker will be Dr. Deborah Bronk who is the President and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. We all care about the health of the oceans. They contain 97% of the earth’s water. They provide the oxygen we breathe and the food that we eat. The microorganisms in the ocean make life here on earth possible. The environment and the oceans are changing faster now than at any time in the history of humanity. Because Bigelow is a small organization it is in the unique position of being able to move quickly after making its original discovery to finding a solution. Bigelow researchers are working on some fascinating projects. For example, we all know that methane gas is a major source of global warming and traps heat from the sun 20 times as efficiently as carbon dioxide. But did you know that one of the biggest sources of methane gas comes from cows burping? The scientists at Bigelow are trying to develop feed for cattle that will reduce the burping. Dr. Bronk is fascinated by nitrogen and the ways that nitrogen controls the growth of microscopic organisms at the base of the food chain in open-ocean, coastal and estuarine environments. She is now studying the extent to which wastewater can become a nitrogen source for phytoplankton and bacteria. In her words, “It’s surprising how cool waste water treatment plants can be!” Finally, toxic algae were killing off fish along the coast of Florida in mid-December. Bigelow scientists traveled to Sarasota to study the role that viruses play in altering these algae blooms. The researchers at Bigelow believe that the oceans hold the key to our goals for climate problems , pharmaceutical problems, and health problems. This means that Bigelow is a place for hope. This is an opportunity for us to learn how our actions impact the oceans and what we can do differently to lessen our impact on them. Because you probably know little about this Maine-based organization we urge you to watch the 5-minute YouTube video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEy2zFcPpHg https://www.bigelow.org/ Dr. Bronk has a Ph.D. in Marine Estuary and Environment Sciences from the University of Maryland. This event will be held on Wednesday evening, January 25, at the Daniel Island Club. There will be a cash bar and passed hors oeuvres between 6:30 and 7:00 pm. The program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm and will conclude around 8:00 pm. Please click on the link below to register. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/daniel-island-community-speakers-series-with-rob-fowler-at-the-di-club-tickets-449776943947