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Discovering the Deep: Life in our Last Wilderness, A Public Lecture by Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe
					
 Mar 22, 2022 
 7:00PM to 8:00PM

									

				

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	Date/Time

	Date(s) - 22/03/2022
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm







Discovering the Deep: Life in our Last Wilderness


Keynote speaker: Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe

McMaster alumna Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe ’75 is the recipient of the Order of Canada for her outstanding contributions to ocean sciences and for being a pioneer in the scientific exploration of the deep sea.


Humans derive huge benefits from the oceans, both shallow and deep. However, mounting pressures from humans are threatening the ability of ocean to deliver such services. As exploration has expanded our access, the marvels of deep ocean ecosystems are revealed, just as exploration has opened horizons to exploitation. Seabed mining is one such venture offering promises for the ‘green revolution’ but also fundamental threats to biodiversity hotspots e.g. hydrothermal vents.


Please register here in advance: https://bit.ly/MacClimate2022




Verena Tunnicliffe, Professor Emerita, is a marine biologist at University of Victoria in Canada where she held a Canada Research Chair in Deep Ocean Research until retirement in 2020. She combines a drive for ocean exploration with a passion to understand the nature and functions of novel communities. A lifetime of ocean exploration has stretched from coral reefs to subsea volcanoes making hundreds of dives with SCUBA and both manned and remotely operated submersibles. Her research in marine habitats in extreme conditions has retrieved over 100 new species especially associated with hydrothermal vents. For a decade, she helped to make the “Ocean On-line” a reality as Director of the subsea observatory, VENUS, where her program examined the impact of climate change on coastal communities. She seeks new techniques to bring a greater depth of understanding of the ocean world to research, education and the public. Current research focusses on deep ocean conservation, including environmental management around deep-sea mining.