February 1

The Past, Present and Future of Earthquakes in New England

Dr. John Ebel, Director of Weston Observatory at Boston College
This past summer’s earthquake reminded us that while we may not live in seismically-active California, the earth still can move under our feet! The New England region has experienced regular earthquake activity throughout its history, and a few of which were damaging. In this talk, Dr. Ebel, Director of the New England Seismic Network at Boston College, will explore where New England earthquakes have occurred, what caused them, and what the potential is for future damaging earthquakes in our region.
www.ssymca.org

February 8

The Search for and Discovery of Air France Flight 447

Dr. David Gallo, Director of Special Projects, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
On April 4, 2011, a team led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution located the wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in the
Atlantic Ocean off Brazil’s northeastern coast in nearly 2.5 miles of water. Learn how the search team scoured some of the most
rugged seafloor terrain using specialized vehicles to find the wreck, whose location remained a mystery for nearly two years. At
the forefront of ocean exploration, Gallo was one of the first scientists to use a combination of robots and submarines to map
deep-sea mountain ranges. Most recently he was co-expedition leader for mapping the Titanic and the successful search for the
missing Air France 447.

February 15

Sea Level Rising, The Chatham Story

Bill Sargent, Author
On April 6, 2007, an early spring storm broke through Cape Cod’s barrier beach. Overnight the citizen’s of Chatham had to contend
with as much sea level rise as most communities will face in the next 50 years. A dozen homes were swept away in as many months
and today a new inlet is aimed at the heart of the village. Another hundred houses and the third most lucrative fishing port in
New England will be endangered in the coming years. Sea level rising is a clarion call for a coastal communities to prepare for the
chronic effects of global warming. Join Bill Sargent, NOVA consultant, and author of the book “Sea Level Rise: the Chatham Story”,
for a captivating, illustrated program.

February 22

Shucked

Erin Murray, Author
Let Erin Murray, author of Shucked, take you on a unique tour of the oyster business from an insider’s perspective. In this engrossing
and personal account, a young woman from Boston ditches her pampered city girl lifestyle and convinces the rowdy crew at
Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food and lifestyle writer work for them for
18 months to learn the business of oysters. This in-depth look at the work that goes into getting oysters from farm to table shows
Erin’s full-circle journey through the modern day oyster farming process. It also tells a dynamic story about the people who grow
our food, and the cutting-edge community of New England oyster farmers who are defying convention and looking ahead.

February 29

A Tail of Two Lobsters: Migration and Reproduction in American Lobsters

Jason Goldstein, University of New Hampshire
North American lobsters are iconic throughout New England and support a historically successful fishery unmatched by few even
today. However there are still large unknowns concerning some of their most fundamental biological processes including growth,
reproduction, egg development, and patterns of movement. Using creative technological solutions, scientists and fishermen alike
hone in on patterns of lobster movement both in the Gulf of Maine and in the Great Bay Estuary and have been surprised by some
of their findings. Other factors such as the impacts of fluctuating ocean temperatures provide insight into how coastal waters and
estuaries may change at both regional and local scales, thus impacting the future health and distribution of lobster stocks.