The Modesto Area Partners in Science (MAPS) invites the community to dive into the “Ocean Engine of Life,” a free, family science show by Tierney Thys, Ph.D., National Geographic explorer and TED speaker. The presentation, which is appropriate for people of all ages, is Friday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., in the Main Auditorium of the Performing and Media Arts Center on Modesto Junior College’s East Campus, 435 College Ave., Modesto.
Thys will take the audience off the land and into the water for a wild ride around the entire world ocean, as she discusses places of destruction and desolation, hope and salvation. Her presentation provides a look at the ocean’s immense importance to all life and how it has influenced human evolution and world history. During the evening she explores state-of-the-art research, including her study of ocean sunfish, aimed at ensuring a healthy ocean and planet for generations to come.
Thys, who holds a doctoral degree in zoology from Duke University, is also a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences, biologist and filmmaker. Her work bridges the worlds of primary research and science communication to promote environmental understanding and stewardship.
Thys studies giant ocean sunfishes in numerous locations including the Galapagos, California, and Indonesia, with an aim to reduce bycatch, promote marine protection, and expand sustainable ecotourism. When not chasing fish or doing neuro-research, she collaborates with a variety of artists to message science and conservation in diverse ways, from filmmaking to dance, and creating ocean trash sculptures.
From 1998 to 2008, Thys served as the research director for Sea Studios Foundation, a California-based natural history documentary production house that produced the multimillion-dollar National Science Foundation funded series Strange Days on Planet Earth and a series of classroom videos called The Shape of Life.
MAPS programs are made possible by contributions from the MJC Foundation, Associated Students of MJC, Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Great Valley Museum.
For more information about the MAPS program visit the website http://maps.events.mjc.edu/, the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Modesto-Area-Partners-in-Science/244618054801.
