Marine Invaders on the Move – Underwater in Salem Sound 2024 Lecture Series

Speakers: Barbara Warren, Executive Director, Salem Sound Coastwatch, Lexie Neffinger, Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Specialist, MA Office of Coastal Zone Management, and Alison Frye, Associate Director, Salem Sound Coastwatch

RSVP to attend in-person (seating limit 45) at info@salemsound.org or register for the Zoom presentation at abbotlibrary.org. 

Green crabs and blue crabs and shore crabs, OH MY! These crabs, along with colonial tunicates, European oysters, and Dead Man’s Fingers, are just a few of the non-native species found in Salem Sound. Join us to hear about the trends Salem Sound Coastwatch has observed over the past 20 years and new species to watch out for! 

Invasive species are non-native organisms that have been accidentally or deliberately introduced to a region and cause ecological or economic harm to their new environment. Today, warming ocean water from climate change presents an additional factor, allowing species, such as fiddler and blue crabs, to extend beyond their natural historic range.

Doors open at 6:30 for a hands-on viewing of animals in our touch tank!

Barbara Warren is Salem Sound Coastwatch’s Executive Director for the past 20 years. She has an MS in Environmental Science from Antioch New England and M.A. in Education from Lesley University. 

Lexie Neffinger is the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Specialist at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Lexie supports CZM’s coastal habitat and water quality initiatives, including the coordination of the Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative, which convenes volunteer monitoring networks that search for invasive species across New England. She earned a BS in Environmental Science from Fordham University and an MS in Coastal and Marine System Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she gained experience in ecological monitoring, bioassessment, and restoration of coastal ecosystems. 

Alison Frye is the Associate Director at Salem Sound Coastwatch, where her primary focus is on coastal resilience and habitat restoration projects. She earned a BS in Biology from Bates College and an MS in marine biology from Northeastern University, where her research focused on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation.