SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y., November 19, 2009 –The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) and Stony Brook Southampton will present a lecture titled “The Secret Lives of Worms: Nutrient Cycling in the Seabed” as part of its monthly series, with Dr. Robert C. Aller, SoMAS Distinguished Professor.
The event will take place on Friday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Duke Lecture Hall. A reception will follow. For further information, call 631-632-5046. It is free and open to the public.
Despite it’s rather ordinary appearance, the muddy sea floor plays a central role in the degradation of organic debris and the cycling of elements in the ocean. The activities of seabed inhabitants, such as worms and molluscs, create highly dynamic and geometrically complex chemical reaction patterns, and promote exchange of nutrients and metals between bottom muds and overlying water. At Stony Brook University, researchers have developed a suite of new optical sensors to explore the world of worms.
In this presentation, Aller will discuss how animals that live in muds affect nutrient cycles and ecosystem functioning, and show examples of how new sensor technology provides insights into chemical dynamics of sedimentary deposits – and what it means to be a worm.
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