Schweppe Lecture Series

The annual return of salmon to freshwater streams has been a symbol of the Alaskan wilderness for thousands of years. However, declining salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest have raised concerns among wildlife managers, policy makers and the public at large. An intricate series of ecological interactions poses challenges to management. Dr. Ostrom will review the issues associated with declining salmon runs and explore the ecology of salmon in Alaskan streams through recent applications of stable isotope data.

Dr. Peggy Ostrom is a Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at Michigan State University.  She received her PhD in Earth Sciences from the Memorial University of Newfoundland.  Her research focuses on the processes that affect pollutants in the environment and the preservation of DNA in the environment by using stable isotopes to trace food and nutrient sources in ecosystems.

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. Ostrom's visit to the Marine Science Institute is part of the Laura Randall Schweppe Endowed Lecture Series in Marine Science.