The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person.
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Speaker: Chris Feurt, Director Coastal Training Program, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve; Research Associate, School of Marine and Environmental Programs, University of New England
Salt marshes in Maine are not as iconic as the rugged rocky coast, but their value as places that support fish and shellfish, and migrating and resident birds makes them one of Maine’s most productive coastal habitats. Coastal communities benefit from salt marshes’ natural ability to buffer storms, filter pollution and store carbon. But salt marshes that have adapted to changing sea levels for millennia are now threatened by the current pace of sea level rise and coastal development. Chris will share her story of a dedicated group of researchers, managers and conservationists who are collaborating to help turn the tide and sustain Marshes for Maine’s Future.
Chris Feurt’s love affair with salt marshes began decades ago with a career altering summer job at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. On track for a mind-numbing job as a medical technologist, that summer in the Virginia salt marshes helped her chart a different path resulting in a master’s degree from William and Mary focused on the sea level rise impacts of barrier beaches and marshes. The marshes of Cumberland Island, Georgia; Everglades, Florida; and Big Thicket, Texas inspired a career that led Chris to Maine salt marshes over 20 years ago. In Maine, a second transformation occurred. This transformation will be revealed in her story of Marshes for Maine’s Future.