February 27, 2006

Lecture on Thursday, March 2, explores links between red tides and culinary traditions

By Tim Stephens

"Red Tides, Shellfish, and Cultural Dietary Traditions" is the title of the Winter 2006 Synergy Lecture featuring Mary Silver, professor of ocean sciences. The talk will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, in the Current Periodicals Room of the Science & Engineering Library.

Mary Silver

Dietary traditions of seafood-consuming cultures suggest that people have recognized waterborne toxins and avoided them for millennia. Since the early- to mid-1900s, governments in western countries have also used shellfish-monitoring programs to assure the safety of mussels and other shellfish for human consumption.

In her talk, Silver will discuss her research on the aquatic microbes that produce the toxins responsible for deaths of local marine birds and mammals. She will review the phenomenon of "red tides" and will speculate on possible links between marine toxins and culinary traditions in seafood-consuming cultures.

Light refreshments will be available at the event.

Additional information is available on the S&E Library's Synergy Lecture Series web site.