[SEMCO] Tues. Aug. 21, 7 pm- Talk on South Cape Beach Ancient Forest at WBNERR

[Muller, Joan (DCR)]

Reserve Hosts Talk on Submerged Ancient Forest at South Cape Beach
On Tuesday, August 21, at 7 pm in the Visitor Center, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve brings back one of its most popular  " Research at the Reserve"  talks, "Studying the Past to Understand the Future: A Submerged Ancient Forest and Sea Level Rise". Chris Maio, UMass Boston doctoral student, will highlight his research currently underway about the ancient tree stumps recently exposed at South Cape Beach and update the program he presented at the Reserve last fall.

The stumps at the South Cape Beach ancient forest site first appeared after a fierce storm in spring, 2009. The appearance of the 200 stumps along the shore has generated a lot of community interest and provides a great opportunity to learn about how local ecosystems responded to climate change in the past.  Chris Maio's research, "A Preliminary Investigation into the Geologic Evolution of South Cape Beach" focuses on understanding how coastlines respond to sea-level rise, urbanization, and extreme weather events during ancient and historical times.  He uses a variety of state-of-the-art technologies to probe into the past.
Says Maio, "Through my research, I hope to contribute to a clearer understanding of how coastal areas have evolved over time enhancing our ability to perceive potential changes in the future." Chris Maio is pursuing his PhD in Environmental Science at UMass Boston and is currently an instructor there for Introduction to the Global Environment.

Community members are invited to join in for a casual night of discussion and learning about Chris's research within the Reserve and the tools he uses to decipher the ancient past. Participants will get a chance to see some of the high-tech gadgets up close in person.  Results of the Carbon-14 dating will be discussed at this event.

This program is the summer edition of "Research at the Reserve", where scientists discuss their research at the Waquoit Bay Reserve. In addition to explaining the research they're doing, researchers include personal anecdotes on how they did the science and how they feel their research will make a difference to those sitting in the audience. This series was created to expose community members who are curious, but may or may not have a scientific background,  to cutting edge science in a relaxed and informal way.
Doors open at 6:45 with a chance to view the exhibits in the visitor center. Waquoit Bay Reserve Visitor Center is located at 149 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit, Massachusetts. For more information, call 508-457-0495 x 107 or 108 or check www.waquoitbayreserve.org<http://www.waquoitbayreserve.org>.


Joan Muller
Education Coordinator
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
149 Waquoit Hwy.
Box 3092
Waquoit, MA 02536
508-457-0495 x107
www.waquoitbayreserve.org

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