NightSchool: Open Oceans

The open ocean covers about 70% of our planet, but it’s far from an endless expanse of saltwater — in reality, it supports an astonishing amount of life. This NightSchool, we’re diving into the vast variety of species that thrive in this immense ecosystem.

• Dr. Scott V. Edwards: Tubenose birds — aka albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters, to name a few — can drink seawater, migrate hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles, and locate patches of delicious plankton (and therefore, other prey) by smell alone. Dr. Scott V. Edwards, Professor at Harvard University and Curator of Ornithology at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, will share about these remarkable birds’ long journeys, life history, and the fascinating molecular ecology underlying it all.

• Dr. Chugey Sepulveda: How do humans influence the open ocean? Dr. Chugey Sepulveda, Director of Research and Education at the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER), will share about his work to make marine fisheries sustainable. Whether it’s increasing localized fishing opportunities or developing alternative fishing gear, sustainable fisheries management needs collaboration with fishermen, researchers, managers, and more.