When: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Where: Batdorf & Bronson Coffee House, 516 Capitol Way S. Olympia, WA, phone (360) 786-6717.
Batdorf & Bronson has three locations in Olympia. Science Café meets in the downtown coffee house on Capitol Way. On-street parking is available on Legion, Capitol Way, Columbia Street, and Water Street. After 6 p.m., there is parking available at Heritage Bank on Columbia Street between 5th and Legion.
Our topic in September is Assessing the Health of Puget Sound Sediments
Many chemicals, from industrial activities as well as those used for personal use, find their way into Washington’s groundwater, rivers and streams. Some chemicals bind to soil particles suspended in the water and are ultimately carried to Puget Sound, where they settle to the bottom, accumulate, and can cause harm to bottom-dwelling organisms (benthos) and those higher in the food chain.
The Washington State Department of Ecology has been measuring the level and toxicity of chemicals and the health of the benthos in Puget Sound sediments since 1989 in a series of geographically “nested” study areas. Changes in the baseline sediment quality data over time have been gathered to characterize what is occurring in these study areas.
Maggie Dutch, Senior Marine Biologist at the Washington State Department of Ecology, will present an overview of DOE’s Puget Sound sediment monitoring work, what it tells us about the health of Puget Sound, and where the program fits into the network of Puget Sound monitoring activities.
Science Café of Olympia welcomes comments and suggestions on topics, speakers, and how they can improve their meetings. Also, please feel free to pass this notice on to like-minded friends.
Science Café of Olympia provides an informal atmosphere where people both with and without scientific background can meet to gain a better understanding of interesting topics in science and technology. After a brief presentation by an expert in the field, the meeting will be opened to discussions. Science Cafés are found nationwide and are loosely affiliated with the U.K.-based Cafe Scientifique, an international organization promoting public engagement with science. The Sciencecafes.org website is produced by the Science Unit of WGBH in Boston in association with Sigma Xi. Support for Science Café of Olympia is provided in part by the Puget Sound Chapter of The American Chemical Society.
http://www.sciencecafes.org/event_pages/olympia.html
http://www.cafescientifique.org/
Science Café of Olympia thanks Batdorf & Bronson and its staff for welcoming us to their delightful gathering spot.