The amazing comeback of the ever poplar sea bass will be the subject of the Sept. First Wednesday lecture at the Aquarium of the Pacific, the nonprofit institutation has announced.
Giant sea bass are important top predators in California’s kelp forest. Their massive size (up to 7 ft!) and charismatic presence makes them a favorite of SCUBA divers and snorkelers; but the species was critically overfished back in the early 1900s.
The species has been slow to recover but recent years have been marked by an increased report of sightings by divers, anglers, snorkelers and other ocean users. As this king of the kelp forest comes back from the brink, how it uses, impacts and changes the kelp forest are major questions scientists have; as well as understanding the risk to the species’ continued recovery in the future. In order to answer this question, marine biologists Dr. Ryan Freedman and Andrew Pettit have used a series of data types and tools to track giant sea bass in the wild. Come listen to these researchers chat about giant sea bass’ captivating behavior, how they communicate, and how we can follow their movements, seasonality, and track them in the wild. Additionally learn about the Spotting Giant Sea Bass Project, and how community science and machine learning can help to save the future of this majestic fish.
Dr. Ryan Freedman is Research Ecologist at NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. His work focuses on Marine Protected Area effectiveness, connectivity of marine species and the impacts of climate change on marine resources.
He has a bachelor’s degree in biology and marine science for the University of Miami, and a master’s in biology from California State University Long Beach, and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Marine Biology from UC Santa Barbara.
Andrew Pettit served as the Project Scientist and Lead Researcher of the Spotting Giant Sea Bass Project with the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the UCSB Marine Science Institute. His work answers essential questions regarding the population, spatial patterns, and ecology of the giant sea bass. He has a bachelor’s in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Barbara, a Master’s in Ecology and Marine Biology from UC Santa Barbara, and currently resides in Hawaii, where he is pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Following the presentation, guests will be invited for “cocktails and conversations” in our Art Gallery and enjoy our Paint-a-Fish interactive, music, crafts, and a cash-bar.
The event will be held Sept. 4, from 7 – 9 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit aquariumofpacific.org.