MARBLEHEAD, MA – On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, Environmental Attorney Michael Carvalho will attend the Salem Sound Coastwatch lecture series, “Underwater in Salem Sound.” In this lecture series, which will be held the last Wednesday of the month January through April, experts will explore life in local coastal waters.

The Lecture Series is part of a MET (Massachusetts Environmental Trust) grant awarded to Salem Sound Coastwatch to study the issue of turbidity in Salem Harbor over the next two and a half years.  Turbidity, which is cloudiness in the water column, affects the ability of the water to sustain marine life.

On  January 29, 2014, Dr. Robert Buchsbaum, conservation scientist with Mass Audubon, gave an illustrated presentation on the fascinating arctic birds that are only visible in Salem Sound during the winter. These seasonal guests come to local waters for the abundant food provided by Salem Sound’s fish, snails, mussels and underwater plants.

Then in February, Dr. Brad Hubeny, professor of geologic sciences at Salem State University, will talk about “History Revealed by the Sea Floor.” Hubeny’s research includes using sediment records to reconstruct pollution and human influence on natural water bodies.

In the third session, “Changing Climate, Changing Fishes,” Dr. Mike Armstrong of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will talk about the decline of flounder, the burgeoning squid population and the changing species of fish resulting from changing water temperatures.

 The series wraps up in April with “Shellfish, Shellfish Everywhere and Not a Clam to Eat” — a look at Salem Sound’s productive, but not edible, shellfish beds, by Barbara Warren of Salem Sound Coastwatch.

“Salem Sound’s natural resources play a huge role in the ecological, social and economic life of our region,” said Warren, Coastwatch’s executive director. “This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about our great neighbor, the ocean.”

To learn more about this lecture series, please go to: Underwater-in-Salem-Sound Lecture Series.

This Lecture Series is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET).  MET is funded through the sale of environmental license plates. Every Massachusetts driver who purchases one of the “Preserve the Trust” license plates is contributing to the Trust and to the state’s environmental well-being.