Shell Museum Hosts Free Online Lecture: “Solar-Powered Sea Slugs”

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium continues its summer-fall lecture series with Solar-Powered Sea Slugs on Wednesday, September 16, at 5:30 pm.

The online lecture, led by invertebrate zoologist Michael Middlebrooks, Ph.D., will be offered live via Zoom and is free for registrants.

Sea slugs are a diverse and colorful group of gastropod mollusks. Because they lack a defensive shell that protects most snails, sea slugs have evolved a variety of fascinating ways to protect themselves. Some have even become solar-powered. This talk will explore the fascinating diversity of sea slugs and how some have harnessed the power of the sun.

Dr. Middlebrooks is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Tampa. He is an avid scuba diver and is passionate about underwater exploration. Dr. Middlebrooks’ research focuses on the natural history and ecology of sea slugs with a particular interest in those that have evolved the ability to photosynthesize.

Although pre-registration for lectures is free of charge, it is required. Please visit ShellMuseum.org/lectures to register and to watch recordings of previous lectures. Support for this series is from the Sam and Francis Bailey Clean Water Education Center, Leslie Fleischner, and Joan and Don Sherman.

About the Museum: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is a natural history museum and aquarium, and the only museum in the United States devoted primarily to shells and mollusks. Its mission is to educate and inspire an understanding of mollusks, their shells, and their habitats using exceptional experiences, collections, and science. Permanent exhibitions on view include the Great Hall of Shells, which displays highlights of the Museum’s collection of more than 600,000 shells, as well as the Living Gallery of Aquariums and over 60 species of marine life. For more information, please visit ShellMuseum.org or call (239) 395-2233.