The subjects of “Climate Change, Plankton and Pollution” will be addressed by international marine expert Professor Peter Burkhill of the Sir Alistair Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) at a free lecture in the Marine Institute headquarters, Oranmore, Co. Galway next Wednesday 18th November, starting at 5.00 pm.  

“We live in a changing world and the oceans are no exception,” said Professor Burkhill, who heads the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey, which has operated for the past 80 years. “While we have a fair appreciation over time scales of millenia from the marine geological record, our appreciation of changes in the past century is more challenging. Luckily results from the CPR Survey give us one of the few windows into ocean change over this period.”  

The talk will describe recent discoveries in the changing patterns of ocean biology relating to climate and pollution and will also project forwards to future needs in order to gain a better understanding of the oceans in our ever changing world.  This includes the development of a new Irish CPR Survey.    

Admission to this important event is free. However, people wishing to attend MUST register with Deirdre Fitzhenry of the Marine Institute on 091 387200 (or email to deirdre.fitzhenry@marine.ie) by close of business on Monday 16th November in order to secure a place.