Seagrass habitats are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth but few people know what they are and how they are important to the health and functioning of other marine ecosystems and human well-being. In this talk, Dr. Len McKenzie covers the seagrass basics, but also talks about why regular seagrass monitoring is important and how monitoring seagrass in Singapore is contributing to global effort in understanding changes in seagrass ecosystems.
Dr. Len McKenzie is a Principal Researcher with TropWATER (James Cook University) and
Seagrass-Watch Program Leader. He is also the Task Leader of the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program – Intertidal Seagrass Monitoring and project leader for a series of projects involving the assessment and sustainable use of coastal fisheries habitats. Len has over 20 years experience as a researcher on seagrass ecology, assessment and fisheries habitats. This includes experience within Australia and internationally in seagrass research, resource mapping/assessment and biodiversity.
He has provided information on seagrass communities that has been vital in management of seagrass resources of the Great Barrier Reef and at the state, national and international levels. He has also advised on fishers and coastal resource-use issues for managers, fishing organisations, conservation and community groups. Len is also the Secretary of the World Seagrass Association.
The talk is free but pre-registration is required, online at
http://bit.ly/lmckenzie
Time: 7-8.30pm
Venue: Function Hall, Botany Centre, Level 1, Singapore Botanic Gardens
map
Contact: Rachel Lim at
lim_li-feng@nparks.gov.sg
