Schweppe Lecture Series

Dr. Louis J. Guillette, Jr.

Thursday, February 3, 2005, 7:00 PM, Visitors Center Auditorium

Alligators and Health - New Lessons from the Swamp

The effects of man-made chemicals on wildlife have been studied for over 30 years. Although some chemicals are often lethal, others can mimic naturally occurring chemical messengers in organisms, such as hormones, and impair the reproduction and endocrine systems of wildlife. These ³endocrine disrupting contaminants² (EDCs) are widespread and many remain in the environment for decades. As a result, EDCs have been implicated in the compromised reproduction and subsequent declines of numerous wildlife populations around the world.

The negative effects of EDCs are not limited to wildlife populations. Since the endocrine systems and the hormonal control of reproduction are similar in most vertebrates, many species are at risk from exposure to EDCs, including humans. Wildlife species often act as sentinels, providing clues about events occurring in the environment, before they are readily visible. Thus, by studying the effects of EDCs on animal, such at the American alligator, we can gain insight into the risk of these contaminants to humans.

Louis J. Guillette, Jr. is a Distinguished Professor of Zoology and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida. Dr. Guillette received his doctorate in Comparative Reproductive Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1981. He is an award-winning teacher of Embryology and Reproductive Biology. Internationally recognized for his work in the field of comparative reproductive biology and developmental endocrinology, he has advised such countries as New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, and Botswana on the development of reproductive biology programs for endangered wildlife. Dr. Guillette also is recognized for his research examining environmental contaminants and reproductive/endocrine disruption in various wildlife species, and policy work in human public health.

The free lecture will be held at 7 p.m. in the Visitor Center of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, and the public is invited to attend. Dr. Guillette's visit to the Marine Science Institute is part of the Laura Randall Schweppe Endowed Lecture Series in Marine Science.