Come learn about the exciting scientific discoveries and advancements happening right here in our Great Lakes! Join the Michigan Maritime Museum on October 18th at 6:30 pm for the next segment of our Working Waterfronts Lecture Series. This month our lecture is Exploring Great Lakes’ Hidden Geoparks: Lake Huron’s Sinkholes, presented by Dr. Bopi A. Biddanda.
Sinkholes offer scientists a unique opportunity to study bacteria and microbes similar to those found in Earth’s early shallow seas. These findings can shed light not only on the past, but also on our present and future. From Earth’s current state of biodiversity to our search for extra-terrestrial life, sinkholes could hold the key to uncovering the answers scientists have been searching for. Dr. Biddanda brings his two decades of exploration and experience to share with us these exciting discoveries happening in our own backyard.
Bopi Biddanda is an aquatic microbial ecologist and a biogeochemist. Hailing from the lush and biodiverse subtropical mountains of southwest India, he has a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia where he explored new mechanisms of movement of carbon through microbes in the sea. Subsequently, he went on research and teaching adventures at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Germany), University of Texas Marine Science Institute, University of Rio Grande (Brazil) and University of Minnesota. Currently, at Grand Valley State University at the Annis Water Resources Institute, he studies and teaches about the microbial biogeochemistry of the Laurentian Great Lakes – explores life in extreme environments, operates a time-series buoy observatory in Muskegon Lake, and teaches graduate and undergraduate classes. In 2022, he was a Fulbright Fellow in Spain studying Earth’s lakes as sentinels of ongoing global change. He serves as GVSU’s representative to NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium.
“We could not be more pleased to host Dr. Biddanda during our lecture series. We strive to showcase the highest caliber of presenters and Dr. Biddanda is a wonderful example of that.” said Ashley Deming, Director of Education and Administration. “There is scientific exploration happening all over the Great Lakes on many fronts. This presentation illustrates a ‘working waterfront’ from a new and fascinating perspective.” This lecture series is made possible thanks to the Nielsen-Wells Grant Fund and Mike and Susan Smith.
Tickets are free for museum members and $10 for non-members. For more information about the Museum’s events, please visit: https://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/events/.
