Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and light refreshments and Dr. Sneed will begin speaking at 9 a.m.

Marine Science in the Morning will be offered on the third Wednesday each month, with new and exciting speakers presenting on March 18 and April 15. Marine Science in the Morning is included with regular admission to the Aquarium ($5 per adult, $4 per senior 55 and older) and includes the lecture, coffee and refreshments and the opportunity to explore the aquarium. Advance registration is required; spaces are limited for this series. To register, please email SMSEducation@si.edu or contact our Education Office at 772-465-3271.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Elizabeth Urban-Gedamke from the Smithsonian Marine Station will share her expertise. Her presentation, “The (Sea)grass Is Always Greener: Impacts of Seagrass Presence and Associated Environmental Drivers on Infaunal Community Structure in a Disturbed Estuarine System,” will highlight why the tiny animals living in the sediment on the lagoon floor are important for keeping ecosystems healthy and can reveal when environmental conditions are improving or declining.  Her work supports the belief that signals from these communities could help us better understand seagrass loss and restoration in the Indian River Lagoon.