[SEMCO] For Immediate Release- Free SEA Faculty Lecture, Sun, March 16- "Drifting Oases of Life on the Deep Blue Sea" by Dr. Amy NS Siuda

[Jennica Deely]

*March 10, 2014*

*For Immediate Release:*
*2014 Spring Lecture Series |March 2014*

*For more information, contact: Jennica Deely, Marketing Coordinator, SEA |
**jdeely at sea.edu* <jdeely at sea.edu>
* | 508-540-3954 x523 *
* March 16 - May 18, 2014 | 1pm*
Sea Education Association

*James L. Madden Center Lecture Hall *171 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA
*508-540-3954*



*Free and open to the public **March 16 | Dr. Amy NS Siuda, Drifting Oases
of Life on the Deep Blue Sea*

*April 13* | Dr. Chuck Lea, *Deep Sea Fish and Squid and the Open Ocean
Environment*

*May 18* | Captain Elliot Rappaport, *Leadership Training in the Marine
Environment*


*Upcoming March Lectures:*

*Drifting Oases of Life on the Deep Blue Sea **By Dr. Amy NS Siuda*

*WHEN:*
March 16, 2014 at 1pm

*WHERE:*
Sea Education Association
James L. Madden Center Lecture Hall
171 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA
*508-540-3954*

*Free and open to the public*


*Presentation Summary*

The North Atlantic subtropical gyre (Sargasso Sea), Caribbean Sea, and Gulf
of Mexico host two species of the brown seaweed, Sargassum, that are unique
in life history strategy and ecological function. Unlike other species of
seaweed, S. natans and S. fluitans drift at the ocean surface and are never
attached to the seafloor. Individual Sargassum plants are forced by ocean
currents into aggregated mats that can resemble small islands. Ecologically
and economically important organisms, including sea turtles, eel larvae and
game fish, use Sargassum aggregations as nursery and feeding sites in the
nutrient-poor open ocean. Sargassum also supports a specialized community
of inhabitants, from fish to crabs, that have adapted to 'hide' within the
weed. As a result, these drifting oases have been identified as
biodiversity hotspots and are the focus of a new policy initiative to make
the Sargasso Sea a high-seas Marine Protected Area. This lecture will
introduce us to the Sargassum community and share how decades of scientific
observations recorded during SEA Semester cruises are informing the
management effort in the Sargasso Sea region.

*About the Lecturer*
Dr. Amy NS Siuda is Associate Professor of Oceanography at Sea Education
Association (SEA) in Woods Hole, MA. A graduate of Middlebury College (BA
Biology and French) and an alumna of SEA Semester, Dr. Siuda earned her PhD
in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut. Her research interests
span organismal, population and community ecology of plankton. Dr. Siuda is
currently involved in several research projects, including: studies of
plankton diversity in the Sargasso Sea; understanding the distribution
patterns of the drifting macroalgae, Sargassum natans and S. fluitans; and
investigating selective grazing by copepods of microplastics contaminated
with persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances. Dr. Siuda also
has extensive experience in undergraduate instruction and curricular
development. Her teaching interests range from building scientific
foundation and research skills to scientific communication and the
intersection of science and policy. Dr. Siuda is Program Director and
co-developer of the SEA Semester: Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
program, an integrated problem-based science and policy curriculum to
address real-world conservation challenges.

*About Sea Education Association/SEA Semester(R)*
*Creating Ocean Scholars, Stewards & Leaders Since 1971*


Sea Education Association (SEA) is an internationally recognized leader in
undergraduate ocean education. For more than 40 years and over one million
nautical miles sailed, SEA has educated students about the world's oceans
through its fully accredited study abroad program, SEA Semester(R).



SEA Semester(R) is the leading off-campus Environmental Studies program
focused on the oceans. SEA Semester creates environmentally literate
leaders who are prepared to address the defining issue of the twenty-first
century: the human impact on the environment. SEA looks for motivated
students of all majors who are passionate about learning, willing to seek
out new challenges, and eager to become part of a unique learning community.

 SEA/SEA Semester(R) is based on Cape Cod in the oceanographic research
community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts and has two research vessels: the
SSV *Corwith Cramer*, operating in the Atlantic Ocean, and the SSV *Robert
C. Seamans*, operating in the Pacific.

 For more information on SEA Semester(R) programs, please visit
www.sea.edu/programs , or contact one of our Admissions Counselors at
800-552-3633 x770 or admissions at sea.edu.



*For more information on the lecture series and specific
lectures/lecturers, please contact Jennica Deely, Marketing Coordinator
with SEA. *jdeely at sea.edu
508-540-3954 x523

#######



*Jennica Deely*
Marketing Coordinator
Sea Education Association
P.O. Box 6 * Woods Hole, MA 02543
*t:* 508.540.3954 x523
*f:* 800.977.8516
www.sea.edu
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