FSUCML Lecture Series – Dr. Evelyn Gaiser

“Through the Looking Glass: Discovering the “hidden” clues about ecosystems from microscopic glass-encased algae.” Dr. Evelyn Gaiser, Distinguished University Professor of Biological Sciences, holds the George M. Barley, Jr., Eminent Scholars Chair at Florida International University (FIU). She is an aquatic ecologist whose research is focused on what microscopic algae can tell us about the consequences of climate and land-use change to lakes and wetlands. She has studied the Everglades for over 25 years, much of this time leading the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program, a large, multi-disciplinary program that examines how climate change and resource management decisions interact to determine the future of the Everglades. Gaiser’s research focuses on diatoms – the tiny glass- encased algae whose beautiful ornamentation and shapes not only provide clues about ecosystem health, but also have attracted and inspired artists for centuries. Her presentation will showcase this captivating underwater microscopic world and explain how diatoms and other “healthy” algae can provide signals of ecosystem changes. If we pay attention to these microscopic signals, we can act to prevent further changes that can lead to the formation of “unhealthy” or harmful/toxic algae communities. The science of diagnosing the health of ecosystems from diatoms will be interwoven with images from diatom-based art exhibits developed in partnership with professional artists. Please arrive on time! The lecture will start promptly at 7:00 pm, and the entrance gates will close at 7:30 pm. Thank you!