Tiny Dancers, Ocean Romancers

Dr. Erin Brandt, a researcher at U Chicago, has spent her career learning about spider behavior. She works mostly with jumping spiders, a group of tiny spiders that are known for dexterous jumping, and mating songs and dances. At this talk, Dr. Brandt will take you on a journey into the secret lives of these animals, to see (and hear) their fascinating behaviors and biology. Join us to learn why spiders are important to our ecosystem (and make excellent roommates!). You’ll also get to see real live spiders from local Chicago parks and get to know your arachnid neighbors.

What happens when completely different species have to work together to survive? Coral reefs are the most diverse and productive ocean ecosystems. Not only are they home to a whopping 25% of ocean species, reefs also protect our coastlines and build the literal bedrock for valuable tourism and fishing opportunities to communities around the world. All of this productivity is powered by beneficial partnerships - aka ‘symbioses’ - between coral animals and multiple different microscopic organisms that live inside and on them. Just like in humans, a strong microbiome is essential to coral health. But climate change is disrupting the coral microbiome. Heat waves make corals spit out important microscopic algae that live inside their cells. At the same time, we know higher temperatures can disrupt the layer of bacteria living in the mucus on the surface of the coral. Can these partners still make it work? This talk will explore some basic coral fun facts, whether these different symbioses interact with each other, and what we can do right here in Chicago to help protect our oceans.