On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the seventh lecture of the 34th annual lecture series, “A Delicate Balance of Nature,” will feature Aarin-Conrad Allen, research fellow at Florida International University’s Crest Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment. His talk will detail the role manatees play in the Florida Keys ecosystem.
A doctoral candidate in FIU’s Marine Mammal Ecology Lab, Allen will explain how manatees influence ecosystem dynamics as they feed on a diverse range of vegetation in marine, brackish and fresh water, and can affect the flow of nutrients between environments. Allen’s research investigating food selection of manatees in relation to seagrass declines brings understanding of the effects of coastal pollution and environmental changes on this threatened species.
The lecture is at the visitor center and aquarium building at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is located at MM 102.6, oceanside, and there is no cost to enter the park for the lecture series.
The lecture will be at the visitor center and aquarium building inside John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is located at MM 102.6, oceanside, and there is no cost to enter the park for the lecture series. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7:30. Seating is limited. Attendees may bring a cushion for added comfort.
Temperatures in the auditorium vary and a sweater or light jacket may be desired. The park asks for help in accommodating those who are chemically sensitive by not wearing fragrances and other scented products.
The lecture series is sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park.
More information is available from Elena Muratori, park services specialist, at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in advance, at 305-676-3786. More information on Florida’s state parks is at floridastateparks.org.
