You are invited to the launch of the extended coral laboratory and aquarium at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton on Friday, 26 July, 2013 at midday.
Professor Jörg Wiedenmann, Head of the Coral Reef Laboratory, will be unveiling plans for the new facilities. Recently he was awarded 1.29 million Euros by the European Research Council for the project INCORALS which will investigate how nutrient starvation influences coral bleaching.
Professor Wiedenmann’s aquarium is a combination of display, research and teaching. A key feature of this tank is the ability to demonstrate the fluorescing nature of the corals and anemones on display. Hands-on experience of coral fluorescence will be provided.
The event will start at 12pm. Professor Wiedenmann will give an overview of the upgraded system and he and Dr Cecilia D’Angelo will highlight recent research successes by the Coral Laboratory team. This includes the isolation of the novel fluorescent pigments from anemones that are used in bio-medical research as marker dyes; the survival strategies of corals in the hottest reef on the planet; the role of nutrients in driving coral bleaching; and their work on the ‘sunscreens’ that corals produce to protect themselves from sunrays in shallow waters.
Upgrades to the coral reef tank, and a NERC CASE studentship, have been made possible with sponsorship from Tropical Marine Centre, London, (UK) and Tropic Marin, Wartenberg (Germany) specialist suppliers for marine aquaria and aquaculture.
There will be opportunities to photograph and film the coral reef tank in the reception area.
If you would like to attend the event please contact Kim Marshall-Brown on 023 8059 6170 [email protected]