Environmental & Environmental Justice

Approximately two thirds of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans with an average depth of about 2.65 miles. Below 0.62 miles, the water is completely dark, temperatures plummet to 39 °F, and the pressure is about 40 times the pressure of earth’s atmosphere. Nonetheless, many creatures can live in this extreme place having no light. Deep sea explorations have found shrimp, fish, coral, tube worms, mussels, starfish, and many other creatures even below 2 miles. About 95% of the ocean remains unexplored, and marine scientists continuously find new species in this unusual place. In addition to creatures, huge quantities of methane gas hydrates and billions of tons of manganese nodules are found in deep ocean floors (2-4 miles deep). Manganese nodules grow only 10-100 millimeters per million years. Gas hydrates may contain roughly twice the carbon contained in all reserves of coal, oil, and conventional natural gas combined. Join Professor Hyun-Min Hwang of Texas Southern University to be awestruck by these, and other, wonders of the deep sea.

Historically, wetlands were considered useless land, and we filled them in to make farmland and housing. Today, we realize that wetlands provide numerous valuable services to humanity, and we seek to protect and restore them. Coastal wetlands are threatened by a number of factors, but can be remarkably resilient to moderate rates of sea level rise. This talk will review some of the benefits we derive from coastal wetlands, discuss the threats facing them, and explain why we have reason to expect that wetlands will survive despite ongoing global change. Join this conversation with Professor Steven Pennings of the University of Houston as we wonder at coastal wetlands!