Tuesday Talk in the Hexagon – What can modern science reveal about the ancient history of the Gulf of Maine? with Kat Allen

In 2021 a team of ocean scientists led a research expedition across the Gulf of Maine to learn more about this dynamic region. During this public lecture, Dr. Allen (University of Maine), who served as chief scientist on that expedition, will share an original docu-series that sheds light on how scientists are working to understand long-term climate trends in the Gulf of Maine region. The documentary videos were filmed and created with University of Maine students; each video lasts between 3 and 8 minutes and features a different aspect of ocean research. There will be time between each short video for live questions and discussion. Dr. Allen will also share some preliminary scientific results.

Dr. Allen studies oceans and climate, both past and present. The ocean plays a key role in regulating Earth’s climate, in part because it has the capacity to store, release, and transport enormous amounts of heat and carbon. She investigates past ocean conditions to understand how the ocean-climate system works on timescales that extend beyond historical records. Ancient marine sediments serve as a rich archive of the conditions in which they were deposited — they contain chemical, physical, and biological signatures of ocean history. To establish quantitative records, scientists can analyze the chemical composition of marine micro-fossils (shells) that have accumulated on the sea floor over thousands (even millions) of years.

Merryspring is your community nature center offering walking trails, cultivated gardens, wildlife, and ecology and horticulture educational programs all year round. The park is located at the end of Conway Road, just off of Route 1 in Camden behind Hannaford Shopping Plaza. For more information on this program, please contact info@merryspring.org or call 207-236-2239.