Seaweek - Lecture: Changing Ecology In a Changing Ocean

Bill Ballantine Memorial Lecture and Ocean Champion Awards.

Understanding the impacts of environmental change has become one of the key challenges of our time. Long-term ecological and environmental data is crucial in understanding how much our natural world has changed, and why.

This year’s Bill Ballantine Memorial lecture will involve presentations from three marine ecologists on long-term changes in coastal ecosystems from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Thursday 7 March 2019, 7pm at the University of Auckland, Owen Glen Lecture Theatre 4 in the Sir Owen Glen Building, 12 Grafton Rd, Auckland.

“The changing ecology of rocky shorelines, from Canada to New Zealand” Professor Chris Harley (University of British Columbia)

Using historical and long-term ecological data Dr Harley will describe how rocky shores on the Pacific coast of North America have been impacted by climate change. He will also discuss ongoing ecological change on New Zealand rocky shores by comparing data collected in the last few months to older studies, including work done by Bill Ballantine himself.

“Species on the move and the tropicalisation of Australia’s Great Southern Reef” Associate Professor Adriana Verges (University of New South Wales).

Dr Verges will explain the large-scale changes occurring as a result of climate change in temperate Australia, and specifically how the arrival of tropical species is changing the ecology of the Great Southern Reef.

“Long-term warming and heatwaves in New Zealand waters: tropicalisation or homogenisation?” Associate Professor Nick Shears (University of Auckland)

Using long-term seawater temperature data collected from the Leigh and Portobello marine laboratories Dr Shears will explain how warming trends and the occurrence of heatwaves varies around New Zealand and what this might mean for our coastal ecosystems.

The lecture will be followed by the presentation of the Seaweek Ocean Champion awards.

Event sponsored by the University of Auckland.