DMC director to discuss resilience of coastal communities June 23

Heather Leslie
Heather Leslie

Heather Leslie, director of the University of Maine Darling Marine Center, will talk about “Resilient Coastal Communities & Marine Ecosystems: Translating science into action” at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 23 in Brooke Hall.

Leslie’s talk kicks off the summer DMC science seminar series; eight renowned marine scientists will engage the public in topics ranging from studies conducted in the Gulf of Maine to exploration of the deep sea.

Leslie also is the Libra Associate Professor in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences. Her research focus is the ecology, policy and management of coastal marine ecosystems.

“Coastal ecosystems are sources of healthy food and clean water,” she says. “Understanding how these systems work and how to be their effective stewards is vital to ensure both thriving ecosystems and local economies.”

In the Gulf of Maine, one of the fastest-warming regions of the world’s oceans, environmental change presents a particular challenge. Economic conditions, habitat loss and overexploitation have the potential to either enhance or erode the resilience of coastal communities.

At this first summer science seminar, Leslie will draw on her work in Maine and Mexico, and discuss how social and ecological resilience are changing the understanding and stewardship of coastal marine ecosystems.

Leslie earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at Harvard University and a Ph.D. in zoology at Oregon State University. She conducted her postdoctoral research at Princeton University.

Originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts, Leslie lives by the Damariscotta River in Newcastle, Maine with her two children and husband, Jeremy Rich, a fellow UMaine faculty member and microbial ecologist.

The seminars are free; online registration is requested. For the complete schedule of speakers, visit the DMC website. For a disability accommodation, call 563.3146.