Murky Waters: Warning Signs About Human Impact on Our Waterways

Science Seminar Series

Featured Speaker: Diana Papoulias, Ph.D., Research Scientist and Fish Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center

The quality of our national waters has improved tremendously since passage of the Clean Water Act. Today, rarely do rivers catch fire and entire lakes die, but our nation’s surface waters continue to receive millions of pounds of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, industrial, agricultural, and domestic waste that adversely affect fish and wildlife. Like the canary alerting miners of dangerous conditions in the coal mine… in our waterways, the intersex sturgeon of the Missouri River, the immunocompromised bass in the Potomac, and many other species with health problems and abnormalities, serve as sentinels to alert us of the adverse consequences of our historic and contemporary use of chemicals. Join USGS research scientist, Dr. Diana Papoulias, for a look at how environmental chemicals affect the health of our waterways and the fish that call these waters home. Photo Credit: Diana Papoulias

The USGS is a source of natural science information vital for understanding the quantity and quality of our earth and living resources. This information improves our understanding not only of how human activities affect environmental and ecological health, but also of how the quality of our environment and wildlife in turn affects human health.

Read about Diana and the U.S. Geological Survey’s research on intersex sturgeon in the Missouri River in a Missouri River Relief blog post from December 2010. Photo Credit: Joseph R. Toelleri

To be held at: Saint Louis Zoo Living World auditorium (north side of Zoo)

Parking is FREE in Zoo’s North Lot.

FREE & OPEN to ALL. Registration not required.

For more information call 314-533-8586 or email events@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by:

Science Seminar Series underwritten in part through the generous support of Cooper Bussman.