ECU Biology Department Symposium

ECU Biology Department Hosts Symposium
in Honor of Retiring Distinguished Professors

Mark Brinson

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 9, 2010) — On Aug. 28, East Carolina University’s Department of Biology will host a symposium in honor of two Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professors, Drs. Mark Brinson and Robert Christian. Brinson and Christian are retiring this fall.

The free, public symposium, “Wetlands at Risk: New Scientific Insights into Critical Ecosystems,” will feature five guest lecturers from 1 – 4:30 p.m. in the Science and Technology Building, Room C207, and is co-sponsored by the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy.

“With their international prominence in wetlands research, these talented scientists played critical roles in establishing ECU as a leading institution for coastal research. We are delighted to have this opportunity to honor them,” said Jeff McKinnon, biology chairperson. “This symposium will both highlight the important contributions of Brinson and Christian and give the general public a chance to learn about an area of great interest, with recent threats to Gulf wetlands from the BP spill and the longer-term threat of climate change.”

Robert Christian

McKinnon will provide introductory remarks at 1 p.m., followed by 30-minute presentations from each of the speakers and a final question and answer session. Leading off the symposium, professor Pierluigi Viaroli from the University of Parma in Parma, Italy, will present “A Long Journey in Coastal Lagoons and Wetlands Along the Po River and the Adriatic Coast: From Ecology to Friendship, and Back to Ecology.” Following Viaroli, Dr. Linda K. Blum, professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, will present “Salt Marshes and Sea-Level Change: Where Millimeters Matter.”

After a short break, Dr. Aaron L. Mills, also from the University of Virginia, will present “Coastal Riparian Forests and Wetlands: The Final Filter.” Mr. Ronald E. Ferrell, senior scientist at PBS&J Corporation in Raleigh, will follow Mills and discuss “Wetlands and the Clean Water Act: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Rounding off the presentations, Dr. Robert R. Twilley, a professor of coastal sciences at Louisiana State University, will discuss “Oil, Hurricanes, Floods and Wetland Loss: Calibrating the Risks of the Mississippi River Delta.”

For additional information, please contact McKinnon at 252-328-5258 or mckinnonj@ecu.edu. Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event.