Palm Harbor Museum: Gregg Poulakis with THE ENDANGERED SMALL TOOTH SAWFISH

2330 Nebraska Avenue,Palm Harbor FL 34683

07 June, 2023

Description

PALM HARBOR MUSEUM PRESENTS: Dr. Gregg Poulakis with The Endangered Small Tooth Sawfish in Florida—where have they been? where are they now, and where will they be as they recover? Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 6:30 PM at The Palm Harbor Library Dr. Gregg Poulakis, biologist who leads Florida's sawfish research team based at Port Charlotte's Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Conservation Commission provides a show-and-tell and display photographs from his research as he discusses The Endangered Small tooth Sawfish in Florida: where have they been, where are they now, and where will they be as they recover? This program coincides with Palm Harbor Museum's newest exhibit, The Small tooth Sawfish, with displays of sawfish rostra (saws) and bones in addition to interactive and educational activities and displays for all ages from Dr. Poulakis' and the FWC collection. You may visit the museum (2043 Curlew Rd, Palm Harbor) at no charge Thursdays-Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM to view this exhibit and others on display. Dr. Poulakis' program takes place at the Palm Harbor Library (2330 Nebraska Ave, Palm Harbor) on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, beginning at 6:30 PM. The critically endangered small tooth sawfish is one of 5 species of sawfish on our planet—this one indigenous to Florida's Gulf Coast (and, with warming temperatures, found to some degree on Florida's East Coast). You'll learn about the extraordinary characteristics of this species. In addition to its distinctive long flat sawtooth rostrum, it is an elasmobranch—species with skeleton of flexible cartilage rather than bone. Related to rays (rather than sharks), the mature sawfish grows to some 17 feet and 700 pounds. Perhaps even more astonishing, female sawfish in Florida have been discovered to mate through parthenogenesis — asexual reproduction requiring no mate or fertilization. In essence, they mate with themselves. Rare among vertebrates, this development appears to have developed as a means to avoid extinction. Females return to the same shallow brackish waters near the shore to reproduce—and human overfishing (particularly net fishing) and habitat destruction have caused the loss of nearly all of the population of this species in recent decades. If we are committed to saving this species, we must understand its needs and how to help it survive. Dr. Poulakis has been studying the species since before it was the first marine (saltwater) species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2003. Little was known about it then; he and his team have provided a far more extensive understanding of the biology and ecology of the species in the last two decades to promote its recovery. Join us Wed., June 7th at 6:30 PM at the Palm Harbor Library. All are welcome to this event at no charge. Walk-ins and all ages are welcome and RSVPs are not required — but do help us plan. We would be grateful if you reserve your spot from this page. Palm Harbor Museum Presents: Dr. Gregg Poulakis with The Endangered Small tooth Sawfish in Florida. Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in the Community Room (first room to the right as you enter) at the Palm Harbor Library. Program begins 6:30 PM. There is plenty of free parking at the library at 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor. Open seating—no reserved seats. However, seats on the front row are held aside for those for whom it is helpful in order to see/hear and who request them. To obtain a seat on the front row or near the front, it is recommended you arrive 30 minutes early. Just take a seat on the front row if if is helpful to you. For more details of the museum, visit: https://www.palmharbormuseum.com/. View our most recent e-newsletter with images of the exhibit at: https://mailchi.mp/ed01e67510ac/may2023 View our Facebook page with images of the exhibit and other events at: https://www.facebook.com/palmharbormuseum Become a member of the Palm Harbor Museum and support the collection, preservation, and exhibition of the history of the Palm Harbor Region via our website here! Discover more at PalmHarborMuseum.com.