21 Jun (Tue): "The Sea Anemone Lecture" by Dr Daphne Fautin

Dr Daphne Fautin, world authority on sea anemones, is here to conduct a Sea Anemone Workshop (15-21 Jun) in conjunction with the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey. She will be giving a public talk at the end of the Workshop.

Dr Daphne on a field trip at Terumbu Semakau to find anemones.

Come for her talk to find out what was discovered at the Workhop! Dr Daphne will speak on the "Hidden treasures of biodiversity: flowers of the marine world (sea anemones)"

Hidden treasures of biodiversity: flowers of the marine world (sea anemones)

Nemo lived in a sea anemone. These animals, which look like harmless flowers, are actually carnivorous that can eat Nemo and other larger prey. Dr Daphne's study of Singapore's sea anemone diversity over the past five years suggests that there about 50 shallow-water species and most of them undocumented until recently.

The sea anemone diversity in Singapore waters include one species that can swim and several that can sting humans. The diversity is so high that it was postulated that Singapore has more species of sea anemones than the entire west coast of north America!

In this talk, Dr Daphne will explore questions like: What allows clownfishes to live in such a hostile environment? What factors are responsible for Singapore having a greater diversity of sea anemones than any area its size anywhere in the world? Where else do sea anemones live? And what role do sea anemones play in nature?

The talk is open to the public, all are welcomed. As places are limited, please register your attendance.

Date: 21 June 2011 (Tue)

Time: 7pm

Venue: Lecture Theater 23

Science Drive 4,
Dept. of Biological Sciences, NUS
map thanks to N. Sivasothi http://map.sivasothi.com/
Contact: Lin Juanhui linjuanhui@nus.edu.sg