Please bring a friend and join us for the next Olympia Science Café.

When: 7:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Where:  Orca Books (509 East 4th Avenue, Olympia, Phone 360.352.0123)

Our May Topic Is:  Why are the Sea Stars Dying?

Join Dr. Lahner, the veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium, for an in-depth discussion on Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD). SSWD has killed millions of sea stars along the west coast of North America since the summer of 2013 and continues to be one of the largest marine die-offs ever recorded. The disease and what is known will be discussed as well as the Seattle Aquarium’s contribution to understanding this unusual mortality event.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Lesanna Lahner grew up on a farm in Minnesota surrounded by horses, and started working with a local veterinarian and volunteering on wildlife rehabilitation projects before she could even drive. She has two dogs and a horse of her own, but from an early age her professional interests always tended towards more exotic patients. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Carleton College and a DVM from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She has pursued externships in such places as the Honolulu wildlife health center and the Tufts wildlife center where she had the opportunity to participate in clinical research as well as conservation medicine with a focus on stress and pain reduction in exotic species including birds, reptiles, and fish. She has been the veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium since 2011.

Next Month: Summer hiatus till September 2015