Western to Host Lecture on Harmful Algal Blooms March 15 in Poulsbo

March 4, 2016

Western Washington University on the Peninsulas will host a keynote lecture with Neil Harrington as part of its Western Lecture Series from 6- 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15 at the Western Center at Olympic College Poulsbo, Rooms 119 and 120.

The evening schedule is as follows:

  • 6:00-6:30 p.m. – Student Poster Session
  • 6:30-7:00 p.m. – Lecture
  • 7-8 p.m. – Student Poster Session

The lecture entitled “Harmful Algal Blooms: What We Can’t See or Taste Can Still Kill Us” is free and open to the public.  RSVP is recommended but not required to attend.

In his lecture, Harrington will speak about the varieties of harmful blooms in the Northwest, touch on their ecology and talk about how to safely harvest shellfish.

Harrington began working for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in 2012 as an environmental biologist and has since been focused on harmful algal blooms and shellfish, outreach and education as well as restoration project effectiveness monitoring. He has over 11 years of experience working on water quality, shellfish and salmon habitat restoration projects on the North Olympic Peninsula. He has a master’s degree in Biological Oceanography from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

In addition to the lecture, the evening will provide an opportunity for members of the public to discuss research topics related to water, wildlife and policy with Western Environmental Studies students. The student poster session, “A Salish Sea research sampler: Sharing scientific understanding about the Salish Sea,” is part of a Western course on Puget Sound research.

The Western Lecture Series hosts quarterly educational events with guest speakers as they share insight on popular topics in human rights, the environment, wellness, and more.

For more information on this Western on the Peninsulas event, please visit wwu.edu/KitsapEvents, email Western.Peninsulas@wwu.edu or call (360) 394-2733; or contact Kathy Johnson, Western Washington University on the Peninsulas, at (360) 394-2733 or Kathy.Johnson@wwu.edu.