Arctic Meltdown

About the Speaker

Dr. John Trefry is a chemical oceanographer and professor at Florida Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the global cycling of metals with an interest in metals as a resource and as pollutants. Dr. Trefry was a co-discoverer of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean in 1985 and has sampled and determined metal concentrations in 400° C (750° F) vent fluid from many locations. He has made extensive studies of muck and metals in the Indian River Lagoon and has been carrying out geochemical studies in the Arctic for the past 12 years. Dr. Trefry was the medalist of the Florida Academy of Sciences in 2002, presently serves on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Outer Continental Shelf Scientific Committee and is an associate editor of the journal Marine Chemistry.

About the Lecture

Sea ice is one of the most captivating and beautiful features of the Arctic. Its comings and goings in coastal areas signal the onset of long winters and the pure delight of endless summer days. The geographical extent of sea ice in summer has decreased by about 30% during the past 30 years with notable decreases in multi-year ice. Some scientists predict that by mid-century the Arctic Ocean will be ice free during late summer each year. Such a seasonal meltdown may have far reaching consequences including impacts related to maritime transportation, oil spills, coastal erosion, northern migration of commercial fish species and loss of threatened and endangered species. Dr. Trefry will tell the story of an Arctic Meltdown in the context of his studies of the impacts of human activities, such as offshore oil exploration and production, and climate change in the Arctic.   

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