On thin ice: Marine mammals challenged by climate change

Submitted by Amy Hartley
Phone: 907-474-5823
02/18/08

Changes in the sea ice at the north and south poles have an immediate effect on the animals that live there. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, Mike Castellini will describe how disappearing sea ice affects the breeding, hunting, resting and social systems of polar bears, seals, penguins and more in his lecture, "On Thin Ice: Marine Mammals Challenged by Climate Change." The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Westmark Gold Room and all ages are welcome to attend the free event.

Castellini will use a combination of video and still photographs to share current research on ice-dependent mammals, and explain how such work contributes to the overall implications of climate change on the planet in his lecture. Associate Dean of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Mike Castellini has spent a cumulative total of three and half years on the Antarctic ice working with ice-dependent mammals.

"On Thin Ice: Marine Mammals Challenged by Climate Change" will be the sixth and final lecture in the 2008 Science for Alaska Lecture Series, presented by the Geophysical Institute at UAF.

The Fairbanks arm of Science for Alaska has welcomed more than 1,400 people to lectures this year. The popular series includes presenters from each major University of Alaska campus and is held in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau. The series is sponsored by the Geophysical Institute, UAF, and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.scienceforalaska.com
http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/directory/faculty/castellini/

PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

CONTACT:
Mike Castellini, UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Associate Dean: 907-474-6825
Amy Hartley, Geophysical Institute Information Officer: 907-474-5823
Carin Stephens, UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Information officer: 907-322-8730