COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm, for “Life in the Marine Crustal Biosphere” with Dr. Stephanie Carr from Hartwick College, Oneota, NY. This is a free event; all ages are welcome. This event is made possible by the US Science Support Program (USSSP) Ocean Discovery Lectures. Thank you to USSSP and to the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Lecture:
Join us for an exciting exploration of the ocean’s depths! We’ll uncover the oceanic crust, a hidden habitat often covered by sediment. Beneath this layer is a unique rock structure that serves as an underground water reservoir. In this environment, tiny microorganisms thrive without sunlight, relying on minerals and nutrients from the surrounding rock and water. Their remarkable adaptations help them survive and contribute to vital planetary processes. This presentation will introduce you to the borehole observatories at the Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank and share insights from our genetic studies of these fascinating microorganisms.
About the Presenter:
Dr. Stephanie Carr earned a BS in Biochemistry from Hartwick College and a PhD in geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines, studying the microbiology and carbon cycling of Antarctic sediments. Since then, Stephanie has enjoyed 166 days on research expeditions. In addition to sampling Antarctic sediments, Stephanie has sampled sediments of a Japanese subduction zone, seamounts offshore Costa Rica, and the marine crustal aquifers of the Mid-Atlantic and Juan de Fuca Ridges. She uses metagenomic and single-cell genomics paired with geochemistry to investigate the functional potential of deep life. Stephanie has served three years on the United States Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling and is branching into local continental drilling research projects.
For more information about this lecture contact Amy Burgess, Assistant Professor of Biology at amy.burgess@socc.edu or 541-888-7496.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
