March 1, 2004

John Pearse to deliver Ricketts Memorial Lecture at sanctuary symposium

By Tim Stephens

John Pearse, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology, will give the Ricketts Memorial Lecture at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Symposium this week in Seaside. Pearse's talk, entitled "The Health of the Ocean's Intertidal: Then, Now, and in the Future," will take place on Saturday, March 6, at 2:30 p.m. at California State University, Monterey Bay, in the University Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The Ricketts Memorial Lecture is named in honor of marine biologist Edward F. Ricketts, the inspiration for John Steinbeck's character "Doc" in Cannery Row and author of Between Pacific Tides, a landmark book about intertidal marine life.

The invitation to give this prestigious lecture recognizes "life-time achievement in the field of marine science, based in part on studying natural history and excellence in teaching."

The lecture is part of the sanctuary's annual symposium, "Sanctuary Currents 2004: Clean Waters, Healthy Oceans." Researchers, educators, students, and the public are invited to learn about water-quality issues affecting the marine sanctuary. Experts will discuss the sources of pollution and how it affects the coastal environment.

For more information, see http://montereybay.noaa.gov/research/currsymp2004/welcome.html.

Peter Raimondi, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will also be honored at the symposium. Raimondi will receive a Sanctuary Currents Award for Science and Research at an awards ceremony and reception following the Ricketts Memorial Lecture.

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