UNC Center for Galapagos Studies is excited to be collaborating with Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on its first ever Virtual Science Expo as part of UNC Science Week! UNC Science Week will run from April 12 – 17 as part of the 2021 North Carolina Science Festival. UNC’s Virtual Science Expo will take place on Friday, April 16th and serves as a way to meet UNC researchers from around the world as they share what it is like to try and answer Science’s toughest questions.
Researchers from UNC Center for Galapagos Studies, partner institution Universidad San Francisco de Quito and our Galapagos Science Center will be whisking audiences of all ages away to the Galapagos to learn about sharks and conservation as well as new citizen science projects to document biological life in Galapagos. Learn more below and register so you can follow in the footsteps of Darwin to explore the interactions of social, terrestrial and marine subsystems of the archipelago and better understand challenges to island sustainability!
Join us by registering for any of the below virtual sessions and feel free to check out all the many sessions being offered at the Virtual Science Expo. We hope to see you there!
April 16th Virtual Science Expo – Galapagos Schedule of Events
10:00 – 10:30am: Marti the Hammerhead and Shark Conservation (Elementary School audiences)
Shark researcher Alex Hearn of the Galapagos Science Center will read the exciting story of Marti the Hammerhead Shark and answer your questions about shark research. Make sure to check out the abundance of Marti resources kids can use before and after this fun session!
Presenter: Alex Hearn
12:00 – 1:00pm: BARCODE Galapagos (High School and Adult audiences)
Join us over lunch for an informal meet up with the team from BARCODE Galapagos, the most ambitious citizen science project to document biological life in Galapagos. Lead researchers from UNC and USFQ explaining the Barcode Galapagos project, its importance to both help the community and its intended outcomes. Hear about the genetics side of the project and get an ‘on the ground’ account collecting samples and using the mini-Ion barcoding machines to capture this important data.
Presenters: Jaime Chaves, Corbin Jones, and Diana Pazmiño
3:00 – 4:00pm Hammerhead Sharks, Epic Migrations, and Island Conservation (Ages 10-14)
Shark researcher Alex Hearn dives deeper into the world of shark conversation as he reads from the book Marti the Hammerhead Shark, a joint collaboration between the Galapagos Science Center, Galapagos Conservation Trust and MigraMar. Alex will use the story of Marti and his epic journey to answer your questions about sharks, SCUBA diving, conservation, science and more! Make sure to check out the abundance of Marti resources kids can use before and after this fun and informative session!
5:00 – 6:00pm: UNC and the Galapagos Science Center (High School and Adult audiences)
The Galapagos Science Center (GSC) represents a unique facility and a special opportunity to make the world a better place by enriching our understanding of coupled human-natural systems in a world-renowned National Park, Marine Reserve and World Heritage Site.
Three researchers from the Center will discuss what it is like to walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin as they work across social, terrestrial and marine subsystems to help tackle threats to island sustainability. Amanda Thompson will focus on public health and nutrition. Diego Riveros-Iregui will focus on water and land dynamics. Adrian Marchetti will talk about marine ecology and biological productivity in Galapagos.
Presenters: Amanda Thompson, Diego Riveros-Iregui and Adrian Marchetti