Shell club to hold monthly meeting
The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club will meet on Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Sanibel Recreation Center, at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, with a half-hour silent auction before.
The guest speaker will be Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center Director Dr. Mithriel MacKay on “Why Mollusks Need Whales: Understanding The Critical Connections Between Healthy Oceans Largest And Smallest Fauna.” She will cover ecosystems in the unfamiliar deep sea, through the water column and ocean surface habitats, while exploring how whales play a role in the life cycle of mollusk species. MacKay will discuss information to be gleaned from traveling mollusks, how whales may play a role in the movement of mollusk species across unexplained distances, and link the relationship between whales and mollusks in helping to regulate Earth’s climate.
She holds a doctorate in marine biology, master’s degree in marine resources management and Bachelor of Science in clinical laboratory medicine. MacKay also worked as a paramedic in the Texas Hill Country. She specializes in creating and teaching dynamic education platforms for students, interns and citizen scientists with an interest in marine ecology.
The meeting is free and open to the public.
For more information, visit http://sanibelshellclub.com.