Our Thursday science seminars are free and open to the public. Because they are directed towards a scientific audience, they are more technical than our evening lectures. Visit our Evening Lecture Page to learn more about our free Bay Optimism evening lecture series.

Bio: Mark Butler is Professor and Eminent Scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., where he teaches marine ecology and biostatistics. He received a B.A. from Wittenberg University (1980), an M.S. from Ohio State University (1983), and a Ph.D. from Florida State University (1988).  Before joining Old Dominion in 1990, he held postdoctoral positions at Florida State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among other accolades, Professor Butler is a recipient of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Outstanding Faculty Award (2011), the Hirshfield Award for Faculty Excellence at ODU, and is past president of the Benthic Ecology Society. For over 30 years, the Florida Keys and Caribbean have served as the home base for his research and that of his students, resulting in over 100 scientific articles and book chapters. Spiny lobsters have for years been his primary "model" organism for investigating the ecology and sustainability of coastal species set against the backdrop of human exploitation and environmental change. Currently, Professor Butler and his students are focused on experimental marine restoration as a means to better understand the ecology and ecosystem services of spiny lobster, herbivorous crabs and sponge communities in the Florida Keys.